


After Twilight

by Aisshe



Series: Homecoming [1]
Category: Star Wars: New Republic Era
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-02-24
Updated: 2010-04-12
Packaged: 2017-10-07 12:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 98,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aisshe/pseuds/Aisshe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years have passed since Luke Skywalker and Callista Masana parted ways on Nam Chorios.  Now, a threat against the Jedi Order will bring the former couple together once again to face this new enemy...and each other. (AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU story, post-Planet of Twilight. I realize that Callista isn't one of the more popular characters out there, but my hope is that people can see beyond that and enjoy the story. And if you are a Callista fan, then I hope I've managed to accurately captured the depth and layers of her character.
> 
> I've had some wonderful help and inspiration from my great betas...you guys are the best! Special thanks to my beta, muse, and co-author James, who is responsible for 98% of the actions scenes in this story.
> 
> Standard disclaimer that these characters are not mine (save for the handful of originals that crop up), and I'm just playing in the sandbox of the GFFA.
> 
> Originally posted on the TF.N forums, under my board name ashsecho.
> 
> Dedicated to my friend Siobhan, who passed away in March of 2010 after bravely battling cancer. She was a bright, shining star, an inspiration, and a catalyst for me to write this story. She will be missed.

 

            Dreams meant something.  Ever since she was a little girl, Callista could remember occasionally having very vivid dreams.  She didn’t figure out until she was older that these dreams usually coincided with some major event in her life, or were a foreshadowing of things to come.  It wasn’t until she was an apprentice Jedi that she learned how much power dreams really had, and since them, she began to take hers more seriously.

 

            Which is what made last night’s dream so, _unsettling_ was the only term that came to mind.  Typically, she was able to remember major aspects of them, but Callista was drawing a blank on this one.  All she could remember was she had been running.  Running through the darkness, away from…what?  That, and a vague sense of familiarity, was all that remained in her conscious, wakeful state.  It was slightly unnerving, to say the least, especially since she could remember a similar feeling about a dream only a couple weeks ago.

 

            A crashing noise off to her left jarred Callista out of her musings, and she spun around just in time to see a chair cushion go flying, followed shortly thereafter by the chair itself.  The cushion bounced harmless off a window, but the chair crashed into the center of a rickety table stacked high with the chips and cards of a popular betting game.  The table, already precariously balanced, tipped over and scattered chips and cards in all directions.

 

            Callista had been in enough bars to know what was coming, and she was right.  The card-players, furious at the interruption, loudly voiced their displeasure to the chair thrower, a short, grimy little man who bore a striking similarity to the overgrown tunneling vermin found on one of the moons of Hallis.  Despite the protests of the barkeeper, which were largely ignored, the gamblers hauled the unfortunate thrower up off the floor where he had been sitting, and drug him out the back door.

 

            Callista was about to turn her gaze back to the front entrance, where she was expecting her friend and employer, Bazin Jessa, to come walking through any moment, when a flash of light color from the chair-thrower’s corner caught her eye.  She continued to watch, curious if it had just been a trick of the light.  After several moments, though, a blonde head poked out from under the table and cautiously peered around.  It was a young women, no older than seventeen or eighteen, if Callista had to venture a guess.  After seeing the coast was clear, the girl cautiously snuck out from under the table and sidled along the wall, looking as through she was going to make for the back door.

 

            Sighing to herself, and wondering why she always had to get herself involved in other’s troubles, Callista slid off her stool, and walked casually across the floor, indirectly making her way to the back door.  She leaned against the doorjam and waited for the object of her curiosity to appear.  She didn’t have to wait long.

 

            The blonde was slowly backing around the corner, keeping her eyes on the main room of the bar.  After she had cleared the corner, she spun around, ready to make a break for the door.  She wasn’t, however, expecting the sight of Callista, leaning casually against the doorjam, a mildly bemused expression on her face.  The girl bit back a yelp of surprise and froze, her eyes darting from side to side.

 

            “You might not want to go out that way,” Callista motioned to the door she was leaning next to.  “It’s a little crowded back there.”

 

            The girl nodded her head shakily, then offered a tiny smile.  “Um, thanks.  I didn’t see where he got to.”

 

            “Assuming _he _is the individual with impeccably bad aim, I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere – or throwing anything – for awhile.”

 

            “Good,” the girl said firmly.  “Serves him right, anyway.  Overgrown relative of tunnel vermin.”  She muttered this last part under her breath, but Callista heard her anyway, and had to bite back a tiny smile as she heard her earlier sentiment echoed.

 

            “Not that it’s any of my business, but did you happen to be what he was aiming at?” Callista asked, despite the tiny voice in the back of her mind telling her to leave well enough alone.

 

            “Yeah,” the girl smiled sheepishly.  “He didn’t appreciate being called an overgrown tunnel vermin.”

 

            Callista slowly nodded.  “I guess I can understand that.  That’s not really the most diplomatic thing you could have said, even if it is true,” she smiled at the girl.

 

            “Well, he deserved it,” she protested.  “He owed me three weeks of back-pay, plus overtime.  Even if he did fire me, he still has to pay me.”

 

            “Look,” Callista paused, “um –”

 

            “Ellina,” the girl cut in.  “Ellina Kellian.  I’m…rather, I _was_, a research assistant in archaeology, until _he_ fired me,” she jerked her thumb at the back door.

 

            “I’m Callista,” she smiled at the younger girl.  There was something about her, an innocent naiveté combined with a strong sense of moral indignation, that reminded Callista a little of herself at that age.  “Have you tried filing a complaint?”

 

            “On this backwater rock?” Ellina snorted.  “Who’s going to listen?  No one cares about a research assistant getting shortchanged – most people don’t even know we were working on a dig here in the first place.  And there’s not exactly a business union on every street corner I could turn to.”

 

            “So you took it in your own hands,” Callista shook her head.  The girl either had a lot of guts, or absolutely no sense.  She figured it was probably a little bit of both.  “Listen,” she continued, “your former boss back there will probably be out cold for some time, so I suggest you use this time to put as much distance between him and yourself as possible.  Where are you staying?”

 

            “Well, we just had tents set up around the dig.  He might not have given me my pay, but at least he threw my tent after me.”

 

            “Likes to throw things, does he?” Callista idly remarked.  She thought for a moment, wondering at her own sanity as she pondered the offer she was about to make.  She hardly knew this girl standing in front of her, but she just had a feeling…and that was about all she had left to go on these days.

 

            “Listen, Ellina,” Callista began, “I’ve got a spare cot at my place, if you’re looking for somewhere to stay for a few days.”

 

            Ellina, who had been staring at the floor, snapped her head up to stare at Callista, eyes widening in delight.  “You mean it?” she cried.  “That would be so wonderful.  Are you sure, though?  I mean, you don’t know me, and I don’t want to intrude, or be a burden.”

 

            “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it,” Callista said.  “Come on, let’s go before the charmer back there wakes up and blames you for what I’m sure is going to be a nasty headache.”

 

            The two women re-entered the bar just in time for Callista to see Bazin Jessa settle in to the stool she had previous occupied, a drink firmly ensconced in his hand.  She sighed, knowing it would take some serious persuasion tactics to get Bazin out the door again once he started in.

 

            “Stay out of sight,” she said to Ellina as she walked up behind Bazin.  “I don’t think you want your boss to wake up and find you still here.”  She motioned to the thick pillar close to the bar, only yards away from where Bazin was sitting.  Ellina nodded in agreement as she scurried over to the pillar, ducking out of sight, and Callista switched her attention over to Bazin, who was trying to recover from the shock Callista had given him as she walked up behind him.

 

             “Hey, Cal,” he tried an easy smile in an attempt to cover up his embarrassment over being startled.  “I wondered where you were.  I’m not even late this time.”

 

            Callista let out an exasperated sigh and brushed a few errant curls out of her face.  “Your idea of ‘not late’ means that it’s only twenty minutes past the time you said to meet you here.  Never mind that it is the middle of the weekend, a work-free weekend, I might add, and that I was enjoying relaxing and having nothing to do.”

 

            “You never just sit around with nothing to do.”

 

            Callista briefly glared at Bazin, bristling slightly at his observation, but she did have to admit that it was true.  She typically didn’t take downtime very well.

 

            “But if it will make you feel better, I apologize for interrupting your extremely enjoyable, most relaxing downtime,” Bazin continued.  “We got a job, though, and this guy wants to know if it’s something we can handle.  What do you know about 21-CR-J type starfighters?”

 

            “Not much,” she shook her head.  “Those are pretty tough to get a hold of.  Their original owners usually aren’t too keen to give up something that rare.  Wonder where he got it from.”

 

            “Does that really matter where it came?  It’s credits in the bank.  Besides, he could be the original owner.”

 

            “You are such a mercenary sometimes,” Callista glanced back at Ellina, who despite Callista’s words of warning, had crept around the pillar and was subtly attempting to listen to their conversation.  _That girl is going to get into trouble on her own_, she mused to herself, wondering how Ellina had managed to make it – apparently on her own – relatively unscathed thus far.

 

            “Ellina,” Callista sighed as she motioned the girl over, and briefly closed her eyes when she saw Bazin visibly perk up at sight of Ellina.  “Nuh huh,” she shook her head at the same time as she lightly smacked Bazin on the shoulder.

 

            Bazin gave her a slightly sulky look, but she merely glared at him in return.  She was trying to help the girl out, and the last thing she needed was an amorous Bazin Jessa offering any assistance in that area.

 

            During this mostly silent exchange, Ellina has managed to thread her way through the groups of individuals that had gathered around the bar area, eventually making her way over to stand next to Callista.

 

            Bazin pulled his gaze away from where it had settled on Ellina again and glanced curiously at Callista, waiting for an explanation.

 

            “Bazin, this is Ellina.  She’s fairly new to the area, so I offered to show her around and give her a place to stay.”  Callista turned to Ellina and waved a hand in Bazin’s direction.  “That’s Bazin,” she said to the younger woman.  “He’s my, well, I guess you’d call him my boss.  Sort of.”

 

            “Of course I’m your boss,” Bazin interrupted her.  “I sign your paycheck, don’t I?”

 

            Callista rolled her eyes.  “And I hold your entire office together, since if it weren’t for me, your desk would collapse under the weight of the piles of paperwork.  Not to mention that you’d never be able to figure out what kind of maintenance had to be done on everything in that garage.”

 

            Bazin opened his mouth to object, and sighed when he realized she was right, and he didn’t have much by way of a counterargument.

 

            “If that’s all you needed me for, I’m going to take off,” Callista said as she moved towards the door.  “Oh, and Bazin,” she paused, “ about this new customer – you do know that most of the original owners of 21-CR-J’s bought the ships so they could maintain them and personally tinker with them without mechanical input.  That’s why they’re so rare.  They’re very personalized ships.”

 

            Bazin looked thoughtful for a moment as he processed this information.  “So what are you saying, Cal?”

 

            “I’m not saying anything.  Just – be careful.”


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

            _Did other Jedi Masters have to go through _this_?_  Luke Skywalker stopped in the doorway to his kitchen and stared.  While it usually took quite a lot to surprise him these days, the sight of his nephews and niece engaging in a Force-enhanced food fight was enough to give him pause.

 

            He blinked a couple times, still not quite sure he was really seeing the scene that was playing out in front of him.  Although he was quite sure he didn’t want to know the identity of some of the things clinging to the ceiling, some of which looked suspiciously like the leftovers from the previous night’s meal.

 

            “I know you were all planning on cleaning this up before I even saw it, right?” he asked as he stepped fully into the kitchen.

 

            Jacen, Jaina and Anakin all froze, both boys in the process of throwing soft rolls at each others.  They all looked at each other guilty, but it was Jaina who recovered first.

 

            “We were organizing your refrigerator,” the seven-year-old smiled sweetly at her uncle. 

 

            Luke looked around the formerly clean kitchen once, then back down at his niece.  “This must be a type of organization I’m not familiar with,” he said dryly.

 

            “It’s not my fault,” Anakin protested at once, before he could be blamed. and Luke had to bite back a smile as he recounted how many times he had heard Han say those very words.  “They-” Anakin pointed at the twins “-grabbed a bag at the same time, and it broke.  And Jaina said Jacen threw it at her.  So she threw the rest of it at him.”

 

            “Tattletale,” Jaina muttered under her breath, and Jacen flashed his younger brother an irritated glare.

 

            _Timeout_, Luke thought.  The last thing he needed was for this to degenerate into name-calling, all-out sibling warfare.  “Clearly you were all intent on finishing it, though, no matter who started it.”

 

            The three siblings looked at each other, then down at the ground, all rather sheepish.

 

            “We’re sorry, Uncle Luke,” Jacen spoke first.  “We’ll clean up the mess.”

 

            “Yeah, it’ll be even cleaner than before,” Anakin piped up, then paused as his mind processed what he had said.  “I mean, not that it wasn’t nice before, well, that wasn’t what I meant-”

 

            Luke smiled ,and ruffled his youngest nephew’s hair.  “I know what you meant, Anakin.  Although I have to admit, you’re right.  It did need to be cleaned.”

 

            “You’re a good housekeeper, Uncle Luke,” Jaina wrapped her arms around her uncle’s waist.  “We can find where everything is in your kitchen.”

 

            “Clearly,” Luke glanced around the kitchen and the open cabinets.  While he was amused, he wasn’t going to let the kids off the hook for cleaning up after themselves.  “Since you know where to find everything, then you know that there are rags under the sink to start cleaning this up?”

 

            They got the hint, each grabbing a rag and hurrying to beat each other to the least messy spot to start cleaning.  Luke just shook his head as he listened to the twins argue about who was going to be responsible for cleaning up the worst of the mess, and he began wiping up some of the stains on the countertop closest to him.

 

            The kids had done a very thorough job with their food fight, but fortunately, it appeared that they had left most of the drawers and cabinets closed.  Luke opened the drawer closest to him, just to make sure, wincing to himself as he viewed the contents.

 

            The drawer was a mess, but not due to the over-enthusiastic food flinging of the Solo children.  It can be said that every person has just a little bit of packrat in them, and Luke Skywalker was no exception.  Everyone needed a small place to store miscellaneous scraps and pieces of junk, thus the invention of the “junk drawer.”  Luke had stumbled across his.

 

            He wasn’t sure how long he had been tossing random things into it, but from the looks of the contents, quite a few years.  He wasn’t even sure why he had a roll of space tape in his kitchen, but there it was, sitting the in middle of the drawer, surrounded by bits of paper, and smalls bits and parts that were probably meant to go to some broken piece of machinery or equipment.

 

            Luke rolled his eyes, vowing to clean out the drawer – another day – when a scrap of paper caught his eye.  The paper itself was ordinary, ripped off the top of a memo pad, but the handwriting on it brought back a flood of memories.  It was Callista’s.  Luke sighed as he glanced over the note.

 

            _Good morning, sleepyhead.  Went for a quick run.  Didn’t want to wake you up – even a _

_            Jedi Master has to sleep in sometime._

_                                                Love you, C_

 

            Luke knew he was going to get lost in the onslaught of memories about her – waking up to find her in the kitchen, cooking breakfast and making a mess not unlike that which Jacen, Jaina and Anakin had just done; attempting to clean up said kitchen mess, which usually ended with an impromptu water fight; just watching her sit quietly at night, curled up with a book.

 

            Stars, how he missed her.  He couldn’t think of a day that had gone by where he didn’t think of her at least once, however fleeting the thought might have been.  Missing her.  Wondering where she was.  If she was alright.  But mostly, how much he loved her.

 

            A light touch on his arm brought Luke out of his reverie, and he glanced down to see Jaina looking up at him, a worried expression etched across her face.

 

            “What’s wrong, Uncle Luke?”  the young girl took a hold of his hand in both of hers.

 

            “It’s nothing for you to worry about, Jaina,” Luke reassured her.  “I was just doing some thinking.”

 

            “’Bout Aunt Callista, right?” Anakin spoke up from across the room.

 

            Luke was startled, both by the accuracy of the young boy’s observation, and how he had referred to Callista.

 

            “You always look a certain way when you’re thinking about her,” Jaina tugged Luke’s hand again to get his attention.

 

            Luke was amazed at how observant the kids were.  “You guys know she wasn’t really your aunt, right?”

 

            All three nodded, albeit reluctantly.  “Sure felt like she was,” Jacen said softly, and Jaina and Anakin nodded their agreement.

 

            “We miss her, too,” Jaina said, giving her uncle a hug.  Luke knelt down to return the girl’s hug, and was promptly smothered by the trio, as the boys decided that their sister wasn’t going to get to be the only one to make their uncle feel better.

 

            “Okay, do you guys mind if I come up for air every so often?” Luke joked after several minutes.  It felt as though Chewbacca had been giving them all lessons in how to squeeze the air out of a person’s lungs.  They all slowly released him, although Jaina stole another quick glance at her uncle.

 

            “I’ll be okay, Jaina,” Luke reassured her, feeling the young girl’s worry.  She flashed a quick smile at him, just enough to let him know she wasn’t fully convinced, before she picked up her rag and began scrubbing at a stubborn stain on the floor.

 

            Luke watched the three of them, glad that he had offered to baby-sit them while Han and Leia took a much needed break.  It was only for a couple days, but Luke enjoyed spending time with his niece and nephews, something he didn’t do nearly enough of.  He wondered if Leia knew how much her kids missed the person they viewed as their aunt, and figured she probably did.  He knew Leia herself missed Callista.  They all did.  Just not quite at the same level he did.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

_            “_Why are you resisting?_”  The soft words surrounded Callista, and she spun around, trying to see where they were coming from, but she couldn’t see a thing.  She was surrounded by a cloud of fog, damp and thick, and higher than she could see.  Every movement caused a swirl of white before her eyes, but brought her no closer to being able to see in front of her._

_            “_Why fight the inevitable?_”  The same voice, again, but louder, taunting her.  Callista took a few hesitant steps forward, hands outstretched in front of her in an attempt to feel for obstacles in her path.  The fog kept pressing in on her, thick enough to dampen any other sounds.  It was eerily quiet, except for the voice that kept repeating itself, over and over.  She couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but she still cautiously pressed on._

_            She stumbled slightly as the footing beneath her changed: what had been soft dirt had abruptly changed into a smooth, hard surface that her boots had difficulty getting a purchase on.  She slowly reached down and felt the surface – it was cool and slick to the touch.  Not cold enough to be ice, but with the same properties…glass?  As she slowly moved across it, Callista’s feet parted enough of the mists for her to see that the surface was dark and glossy, and had there been any significant light, reflective as well._

_            As she was studying the surface, she felt a cold breeze on her face.  Normally, it should have been refreshing, enough to lift the oppressive fog around her, but this time, all it did was send chills down her spine.  She slowly spun around again, trying desperately to see something, anything around her._

_            Callista tried desperately to get a sense of anything around her, and let out a sigh of frustration when it again failed to work.  She closed her eyes and dropped her head down, willing herself to gain control over her frustration and emotions.  Her head snapped up again, though, at the soft, spiteful laughter that suddenly surrounded her._

_            The fog swirled again, and this time cleared off enough for Callista to see a robed, hooded figure standing in front of her.  She instinctively drew back, but lost her footing on the slick surface.  She landed on her side, but rolled and scrambled to her feet, watching the figure in front of her.  The entire time, the figure never moved, just stood there.  Although Callista couldn’t see the figure’s face for the hood, she felt the uncomfortable sensation of being stared at._

_            As Callista gazed back at the figure, in extended one arm and gestured to her, beckoning her closer.  Callista felt a deep sense of foreboding at the movement, and shook her head, refusing the summon.  She couldn’t explain how she felt the rush of anger emanating from the figure in front of her, but the next thing she knew, she felt the unpleasant sensation of being pushed through the air.  She hit the slick ground hard and tumbled a few times before sliding to a stop again a thick pillar made of the same substance as the ground. _

_            She groaned as she leaned up against the pillar, and struggled to her feet, wincing as she did so.  “_You never learn, do you?_”  That voice again, but this time Callista had the sense that it was coming from the hooded figure.  “_When will you stop fighting?_”  With that, the figure gestured, and before Callista knew it, the ground in front of her feet had cracked open and crumbled away.  She scrambled for a handhold, anything, but the surface was too slick for her to hold onto, and she felt herself falling into the crevice that had opened, and she screamed as she slid down into blackness._

 

            Callista bolted upright in bed, breathing hard, and frantically blinked her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness of her room.  She took a few deep, shuddering breaths as her eyes gradually focused, and she was able to make out the familiar shapes that surrounded her.  She pushed a few curls, now damp with sweat from the terror of her nightmare, out of her face and leaned back against the wall behind her bed.  That was the third time in the last week she had had that particular dream – or nightmare – and she was no closer to discovering what it could mean, or who the hooded figure was.

 

            Her experience with dreams had been that they could either be incredibly figurative, or equally as literal.  So either that hooded figure represented something – a danger to her – or there really was some robed, hooded figure rubbing around the galaxy waiting to do her in.  Neither thought was particularly pleasant.

 

            Callista let out a frustrated sigh.  She had always been prone to dreams and nightmares, particularly of the Force-enhanced variety that were usually some sort of message or vision, but she figured her days of experiencing those were over.  Yet this particular dream seemed to fit within that category. 

 

            _Must be my over-active imagination again,_ Callista thought to herself as she rolled her eyes.  She ran a hand through her disheveled curls and sighed as she glanced at the chronometer next to the bed.  Less than two hours before she had her alarm set to go off, and somehow, she didn’t expect to get much more sleep.  _Might as well just get up, then_, she thought as she slowly slid out of bed and padded over to the small bathroom to get ready for what the rest of the day would bring.

 

***

            A few hours later, Callista slowly sipped the remainder of her coffee and shuffled through a stack of papers that were spread out across the table in front of her.  She glanced at the datapad sitting on the table, then back at the paper in her hand, comparing the two, and groaned at what she saw.  It really was a small wonder that Bazin Jessa managed to keep his shop running, with all mismanagement of data and inventories that had accrued over the years.

 

            She was interrupted by a yawn behind her, and she turned to see Ellina shuffling into the small kitchen, blonde hair mussed and eyes still half shut.  Some people were not made to be morning people, and clearly Ellina fit into that category.  Callista carefully tucked her smile away, instead settling for a low-key “Good morning.”

 

            Ellina bobbed her head in acknowledgement, then brightened considerably when she spotted the coffeemaker sitting on the counter.  She cast a hopeful glance in Callista’s direction, who nodded consent. 

 

            “Cups are up in the cupboard,” Callista gestured, and Ellina grabbed one, filled it with coffee, and had half of the contents drained in the span of less than a minute.  Callista couldn’t hide her grin that time as Ellina sat down with a satisfied smile.

 

            “Well, that was one of the fastest wake-up transitions I have ever witnessed,” she said, with a gently teasing grin.  The younger girl grinned back, and raised her cup of coffee to her lips again.

 

            “It’s a good thing you have this,” Ellina gestured with the cup.  “I’ve been told I’m not a good person to be around in the mornings otherwise.”

 

            “We all have our weaknesses,” Callista shrugged as she scanned through the datapad list again.

 

            “What are you working on?”  Ellina glanced curiously in her direction.

 

            “Inventory reports and some data records for Bazin, but it’s not going well.  The man is horrible at any sort of organizational structure.  Half of the inventory has never been entered into the system, and delivery receipts don’t match up with the master list – probably because no one thought to update anything,” Callista shook her head.  “I really don’t know how he keeps his shop going, other than the fact he is a good mechanic.”

 

            “So is that what you do?”  Ellina asked.  “Keep him organized?”

 

            “Try to,” Callista said.  “It’s more than a full-time job.  But it’s something to do, at least.”

 

            Ellina nodded.  “Enough to keep out of trouble, right?”

 

            “Trouble has a tendency to find me, no matter what I do,” Callista muttered under her breath.  Ellina glanced at her curiously, and Callista waved a hand at her.  “Never mind,” she said, and Ellina sat back, a puzzled look on her face. 

 

            “So, how long have you lived here?” Ellina asked.  She was curious to find out more about the older woman who had taken her under her wing, but had been rather tight-lipped about anything regarding herself.

 

            “About two years now,” was the distracted reply, as Callista was shuffling through another stack of papers.

 

            “So you probably know the area better than I do, since I’ve only been here for a few months,” Ellina said.  “I haven’t had a chance to explore a whole lot, other than the area around the dig, and the main town area.  Vennin – that’s my boss, well, my _ex_-boss – he kept us working really hard, so I never got a chance to see as much as I wanted to see.”  She knew she was chattering a bit, but figured it might make Callista a bit more talkative.  “I came out here because of the dig – that, and I thought it would be a good time to see the galaxy.  My parents were pressuring me about future plans, things like advanced schooling-” Ellina wrinkled her nose before continuing “-and finding a career that would get me far in life, like there’s actually a ‘far’ to get to where I come from.  They keep telling me to go into politics,” she wrinkled her nose again as she paused for a breath.  “So, where’d you come from before here?”

 

            Ellina’s question caught Callista off-guard, and she bit her lower lip as she hesitated over her reply.  “Um, here and there,” she finally answered.  “I was traveling with a group of Gamorrean free-traders for a while, and when we stopped here for a cargo pick-up, I decided to stay here.”

 

            Ellina nodded, although the look on her face clearly said that those wouldn’t have been her choice of traveling companions.

 

            “It’s really not as bad as it sounds,” Callista insisted, but the look Ellina gave her said that the younger girl still didn’t believe her.

 

            “How about before then?” Ellina asked.  “You didn’t spend your whole life just planet hopping with a bunch of Gamorreans, did you?”

 

            Callista glanced down at the table and pressed her lips together, blinking a couple times.  “Not exactly,” she said softly.  “It’s, well, it’s complicated, and rather difficult to explain.”  She composed herself and brushed some loose curls away from her eyes, hoping the movement would disguise some of the tears that had inadvertently appeared in her grey eyes.  She cleared her throat softly, then smiled at Ellina.  “What planet are you actually from?”

 

            Ellina recognized the deliberate shift of attention away from Callista, but didn’t pursue the topic further.  She figured there would be time for explanations later, and clearly, the question had disturbed Callista. 

 

            “Delfeire,” she said.  “It’s a small planet within the Catin Sector, which is in-”

 

            “-The Outer Rim,” Callista interrupted.  “I’ve actually been to Catin Prime once, but I’ve never heard of Delfeire.”

 

            “It’s small, and most people haven’t heard of it.  It’s not too far from Catin Prime, though.  When were you there?”

 

            “Years ago,” was the vague reply, and Ellina furrowed her brow, more curious than ever about the woman sitting across from her, but not pursuing the topic – for the moment, anyway.

 

            “Delfeire doesn’t even show up on some star charts,” Ellina continued.  “Most people think it’s actually a small moon that broke away from another system or planet and integrated itself into an orbit close to Catin Prime.”  Ellina’s eyes widened.  “I sound like one of my old school texts,” she said with distaste.

 

            “Well, that’s not entirely bad,” Callista said.  “That means you were actually paying attention to what you were learning.”

 

            “I suppose,” Ellina rolled her eyes.  “It’s really pretty, though.  There’s lots of trees and lakes.  And rivers – a lot of rivers.  And so green.  With all the water, everything was really green. It’s flat, too, with just some rolling hills, so sometimes it seemed all you could see was miles of green blanketing the ground.”

 

            Callista nodded in understanding.  “You sound as though you miss it,” she said.

 

            “Yeah, I do.  It’s home for me,” Ellina shrugged.  “I never really thought about it, mostly because I guess that’s probably one of those things you have to not have in order to know what you’re missing, if that makes sense.”

 

            “I know exactly how you feel,” Callista said softly, “and that makes perfect sense.”

 

            “So, where’s home for you?” Ellina cautiously decided to see if she could find out anything more about Callista.

 

            “I grew up on Chad III,” Callista surprised Ellina by actually replying.  “I still miss the oceans, the salt air, some of the sea creatures,” she smiled wistfully.  “Sometimes it seems like it was just yesterday I left,” she said the last part more to herself than Ellina.  Ellina sensed that this was territory she dare not venture into yet, and she grabbed a stack of paper that had been haphazardly stacked and held it up.

 

            “Do you want any help with this?” she offered, and Callista nodded gratefully.  She handed Ellina the datapad she had been working with and showed her the lists she was trying to match up.  They worked in silence for some time, and it was only later that Ellina realized that Callista had never fully answered the question of what she considered ‘home’ to be for her.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

            Based on Bazin’s call, Callista wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she and Ellina met him at the dig site that had been Ellina’s place of former employment, but the sight in front of her eyes sure wasn’t it.

 

            She had received the slightly frantic call from Bazin less than an hour earlier – her boss had traces of bewilderment – and panic? – in his voice that she had never heard before, and when questioned about it, only gave her a curt response to meet him at the dig.

 

            Now that she was seeing it for herself, Callista understood the reason for Bazin’s worry.  The site was in ruins.  Tents were collapsed on the ground, shredded into ribbons of fabric that fluttered in the breeze before getting mired down into the mud underneath.  Belongings were strewn everywhere: clothing, cooking utensils, reference books, digging equipment, all scattered about with a mindless destructiveness.  But the worst part was the spray of color everywhere: a rusty red that, if she looked closer, Callista knew would prove to be blood.

 

            “What happened?” she asked, kneeling down to gently touch a piece of shredded tent fabric near her feet.

 

            Bazin shook his head and shrugged.  “No one really knows,” he said.  “One of the diggers showed up on the outskirts of town, staggered into one of the bars, covered in blood, and collapsed before he could say anything.  By the time anyone figured out where he was from, it was too late.”

 

            “Too late?” Ellina whispered.

 

            “Everyone else had vanished by the time we got here.”

 

            “Vanished?”  Callista looked up quickly from where she had been examining boot prints in the mud.

 

            Bazin motioned to the mess around them.  “This is all that was left.”

 

            “None of this makes sense,” Callista murmured, almost to herself, as she kneeled down again, this time next to a pile of books that had been destroyed.  She lightly ran her fingers over the covers before picking one up.  “This doesn’t make sense,” she repeated, turning the book remains over in her hands.  The edges were neatly sliced through, a clean cut going the entire way through the book.  The books around her were cut in similar fashion.

 

            Callista stood up again, book still in her hands.  “If an animal did this, these would most likely be shredded,” she held out the book to Bazin and Ellina.  “I’ve never seen an animal that cuts this neatly.  And there aren’t any animal prints in the mud, either,” she added.

 

            “So what’s all this mean?” Bazin asked.

 

            Callista turned away without answering, eyes still skimming the scene, searching for something she might have missed.  “Ellina,” she turned back around suddenly, “what was the purpose of the dig?”

 

            The younger girl just shrugged and looked around again.  “I was never told if there was a specific purpose,” she said.  “My job was to catalogue things, and make sure that not too many people when hungry.”  Her attempt at humor showed Callista that she was taking the whole thing pretty well and was recovering from some of her initial shock.

 

            “Can you think of anything that someone would have any outside interest in the project, or anyone else that knew about what was happening here?  Or anything of unusual interest that was found?”

            Ellina shook her head, looking puzzled.  “No, not really,” she said.  “It was academic research, quite boring, actually.  No one even wanted to know about the interesting areas,” she muttered under her breath.

 

            “What ‘interesting area’, Ellina?” Callista fixed her with an intense look.

 

            “I found something that looks like a secret room of some sort,” Ellina said.  “No one else knew about it.”

 

            Callista looked around again, then turned back to Bazin.  “Can you head back to town and start a search party?  There are quite a few boot prints that lead into the surrounding trees, so the people that were here may not be as ‘vanished’ as everyone seems to thing.”

 

            Bazin nodded and turned back in the direction of town, slipping slightly in the sticky mud.

 

            Callista turned back to Ellina.  “Do you remember how to get to this room?”

 

            “I think so, Ellina nodded, and carefully picked her way around the perimeter of the camp, Callista following behind her, every sense on alert.  She couldn’t put a finger on it, but she felt inexplicably wary and uneasy.  Her fingers automatically reached down and brushed against the hilt of her lightsaber for reassurance, and she took a brief comfort in the feel of the cool metal under her fingertips.

 

***

            Callista had always been good at navigation and direction – growing up on the sea had given her a finely tuned internal compass, and her Jedi training had only developed that sense further – but at the moment, she felt truly lost.  She and Ellina had only been walking for about fifteen minutes, but the path – if one was being generous in their description – they were following was overgrown and the trees overhead were thick, obscuring her view of the sun.  Callista swiped at a branch that tried to tangle itself in her thick curls and resisted the urge to pull of her lightsaber and start chopping at the foliage.

 

            Ellina stopped suddenly at a large mound that was covered in a tangle of green vines and groundcover plants.  She glanced around, then back at Callista.

 

            “Is this the part where I ask ‘are we there yet’?” Callista asked wryly.  Ellina smiled faintly, but still looked slightly uneasy.  “What’s wrong?”

 

            “I just never realized how, well, spooky this place can seem,” Ellina whispered.  “I didn’t feel this last time I came here.”

 

            “Feel what?”

 

            “I don’t know,” Ellina shrugged.  “I can’t describe it, but it just feels _wrong_.”

 

            That was a feeling Callista could identify with, having experienced it more times than she could possibly keep track of, which was why she stepped closer to Ellina and glanced around at the trees that surrounded them.  “Are you comfortable with continuing, or do you want to go back?”

 

            “No, we’ll go,” Elinna said determinedly, and stepped around the side of the mound to another highly overgrown, glorified trail.  Callista glanced over her shoulder once before setting after the girl.  The only thing she could see was a faint mist settling between some of the trees, but she couldn’t suppress the sudden shudder that ran up her spine, and she quickened her pace to keep up with Ellina, who had decided the best way to evade her discomfort was to increase her pace.

            After another ten minutes of walking and limited conversation, Ellina stopped at a small break in the increasingly thick trees, and Callista could see a low wall of stone, less than a meter high, surrounding three sides of a rectangular opening in the ground.  She stepped closer and saw steps made out of the same material leading down underground.

 

            “This is it,” Ellina said, as the two women walked over to the entrance.  Callista brushed her hand over the stone, amazed to find that, despite the overgrown forest surrounding the area, the wall was completely untouched by the forces of nature.

 

            “How far down does that go?” Callista motioned to the stairs.

 

            “I never measured it,” Ellina said, “but it’s not that far, it just looks it because it’s dark…” her voice trailed off.  “Oh, I don’t have a light with me,” she groaned.

 

            “We’ll improvise,” Callista said as she stepped closer to the entrance and pulled her lightsaber from her belt.  She was curious about the place, and besides, she wasn’t quite sure if she could find her way back here a second time.  Ellina was watching her curiously, and her eyes widened and she blinked rapidly in surprise when Callista ignited her lightsaber, the topaz blade casting a faint yellowish glow down the stairwell.

 

            Ellina’s mouth hung open in surprise and curiosity, but before she could formulate any questions, Callista had started down the entrance, and Ellina scrambled after her, not wanting to be left behind.


	5. Chapter 5

 

            His sister looked tired.  That was Luke’s first thought as he watched Leia walk down the ramp of the _Millennium Falcon_, followed by Han and Chewbacca.  She certainly didn’t look as though she had just spent the last several days on a relaxing vacation.

 

            Luke was pulled from his thoughts by the excited shouting of the three Solo children as they came running by him to greet their parents.  Both Leia and Han knelt down to hug the children in turn, and try to decipher their excited babblings that ran on top of each other as they each tried to share their adventures of the past week spent with their Uncle Luke.

 

            “Okay, time out,” Han held up hands up in surrender.  On a good day, he could usually make coherent sense of Jacen and Jaina’s habit of finishing each other’s sentences, but once Anakin jumped into the fray with his own opinions, it became all but impossible to make out anything.  “Why don’t we go inside, and you can all take turns telling us all about your week.”

 

            This pronouncement caused them to all to jump up and down with glee.  Jaina grabbed her father’s hand and began tugging him back towards the temple area.  Jacen and Anakin, not to be outdone, raced on ahead, only to circle back around, grab Chewie’s arms and drag him after them.

 

            Luke hung back with Leia, sensing that she wanted a chance to speak with him.  For a moment, the twins said nothing, then Leia broke the silence with a loud sigh.

 

            “Not a relaxing vacation, then?” Luke asked as they started walking back towards the temple, the laughter of the twins and Anakin echoing up ahead.

 

            “It got turned into a political nightmare, Luke,” she groaned.  “I thought I was supposed to be done with politics when I resigned from the Chief of State position, but this job seems to be determined to follow me around wherever I go.  I can’t even take a break for a couple of days without hearing the latest in rumors and uprisings.”

 

            “Anything of concern?” Luke asked, and winced and Leia lightly smacked him across the arm.

 

            “Can you not be concerned with the fate of the galaxy for two minutes and let me get one decent complaint in, just once?” she said, only half-teasing.  Luke had the grace to look ashamed, at least for several moments.

 

            “Next time, I’m going to some backwater planet off the Outer Rim that isn’t even aware of the governmental changes that have occurred in the last fifty years, where the only thing I have to be concerned about is what appetizer I’m going to order,” she said wryly, and Luke had to chuckle.

 

            “Most of the restaurants around the Outer Rim aren’t the kind that offer appetizers,” Luke couldn’t resist pointing out, and ducked another playful swing aimed in his direction.  His attempts at distraction were working – he could feel Leia’s mood lightening as they made their way up the outer steps that lead to Luke’s apartment area.

 

            Inside, the scene that greeted them could only be described as bedlam – the kids were shrieking with excitement as Chewbacca picked each one of them up in turn and spun them around in circles until they were dizzy.  The twins were taking this one step further and spinning around on their own until they fell down, laughing at each other’s antics.

 

            Leia could barely hold back her laughter when she mentally heard Luke’s, _This place is never going to be the same_, in her head.

 

            _Welcome to what my life is like, all the time,_ she thought back at him, and could feel his grin.

 

            “Heading back to Coruscant soon?” Luke asked with what he hoped was a casual nonchalance.  Apparently it didn’t fool anyone, though, as Han and Leia both let out simultaneous laughs, and Chewie joined in with a quiet “_urf-urf-urf_” of Wookiee laughter.

 

            “Want your peace and quiet back, kid?” Han paused, enjoying the look on Luke’s face as he scrambled to come up with a suitable answer.  Han left him hanging for a moment longer before laughing again.  “Don’t worry, we’re taking off as soon as they” –  he motioned to the kids, who were now trying to use the Force to levitate several leaves that had fallen off one of the plants on a window ledge – “get their things together.”

 

            As if on cue, the three children bolted for the guest room they had been staying in, and moments later, various shrieks and banging noises could be heard emanating from the room.  Leia closed her eyes and shook her head ruefully.

 

            A few minutes later, the three emerged from the room, small packs slung over their shoulders, various items still poking out of the tops.  Leia could already see from a distance that there were mismatched articles of clothing that would have to be sorted out, but that could wait until they were home.

 

            “Have you considered moving from Coruscant?” Luke quietly asked Leia as they all walked back down towards the _Falcon_.

 

            Leia shrugged.  “The thought has crossed my mind occasionally, but it’s just not practical.  If I’m supposed to be acting as the representative of the Jedi to the Senate, I need to be close to where all the political happens are, even if I do complain about it from time to time,” she smiled at her brother.  “Besides, someone has to be the diplomat of the family,” she teased before giving him a quick hug, then stepping back to let the kids swarm their uncle as they said their good-byes.

 

            Luke stood back and watched as the Solo family all piled into the _Falcon_, and waved as Han maneuvered the ship off the small landing pad and into the atmosphere.  He contemplated some of what Leia had said as he walked back to his apartment.  She was an invaluable member of the Jedi Order, and he valued he opinion and perspective on galactic matters.  She was much better at reading a political landscape than he was, and truth be told, actually enjoyed it, for the most part.  Which was why, after she had resigned her political position to spend time with her family and her Jedi training, he had asked her if she would be willing to serve as the voice of the Jedi in the Senate and other political arenas.  After some consideration, she had accepted his offer, and had spent the last couple years doing just that.

 

            Thinking back, he realized he never had gotten a straight answer out of her regarding the latest rumors she had heard, and made a mental note to himself to contact her after she had a chance to settle in back home.  It was probably nothing, but sometimes, galactic-wide conflicts had a way of brewing out of what appeared to be nothing.  That fact, coupled with the unidentifiable, but slightly uneasy feeling Luke had had for the past couple days, was enough to warrant a more intense look at casual rumors.


	6. Chapter 6

 

            Callista’s lightsaber cast a soft glow on the steps and sides of the walls as she and Ellina made their way down the entrance stairwell.  It had been almost impossible to determine the depth of the stairwell from the surface, as the lack of light caused it to appear to be an endless black tunnel, but with the addition of even the faint light from her lightsaber, Callista was able to see that the staircase leveled out several yards below her and continued down a short hallway.

 

            She stepped off the last stair and into the hallway and paused, waiting for Ellina to make her way down the last couple steps.  The younger girl stopped beside her and motioned down the hallway.

 

            “This hall goes straight about a hundred yards, then turns.  It widens to an archway, but I ran out of time before I was able to go beyond that.”

 

            Callista nodded and started down the hall, with Ellina resuming her position of following behind her, trailing her fingers over the wall.  Ellina marveled at the smooth structure, how all of the blocks seamlessly lined up, and how the hallway seemed completely unaffected by age.  Just the fact that it appeared to be an entire structure built underground seemed to be a feat of engineering.

 

            Just as Ellina had said, the hallway turned and opened into a large archway.  Within the archway was a large door that, in the dim glow of the lightsaber, appeared to be made of solid wood.  There was no visible doorknob that Callista could see, but a series of metal hinges lined one side of the door.  She stepped closer to it and brushed her fingers against the surface.  What she wasn’t expecting was the immediate chill that swept through her body, sending a shudder up and down her spine.  It was a feeling of despair, icy-cold terror, and panic all laced together that flooded her senses momentarily before vanishing again.  While the encounter had only lasted for several brief seconds, it left Callista shaken, and confused.

 

            She cautiously touched the door again, but this time, the only thing she felt was the smooth, lacquered surface of the wood under her hand.  She shook her head, wondering at the strange sensation.  It had felt like a warning, something telling her that being here was not a good idea, but she brushed that thought aside.  She hadn’t felt anything through the Force for five years now, so she chalked up the feeling to slight nerves, combined with a lack of sleep the last several nights.

 

            Callista examined the door again, moving her lightsaber closer for more light.  She still didn’t see any visible means of opening the door.  Ellina stepped up next to her, also searching for some sort of doorknob.  She moved to Callista’s other side, near the edge of the archway.  As she did so, she caught her foot on a slightly raised edge of the stone tiles underfoot, and put her hand out against the archway to steady herself.

 

            The stone under her hand shifted the slightest amount, and they both heard a faint _click_ of a lock being released.  The heavy door swung inward several centimeters and stopped, leaving a black opening showing between the edge of the archway and the door.  Callista paused and put a hand on Ellina’s arm to stop her.

 

            “Wait,” she whispered, and put her head up to the door.  She couldn’t hear anything on the other side, but there was no sense in being careless.  She lightly nudged the door with her foot, both hands gripping her lightsaber in a defensive stance as she peered into the darkness beyond the door.

 

            The glow of the lightsaber wasn’t doing a thing against the inky blackness that lay before them.  All Callista could see was a faint light on the ground below – more of the same smooth stone from out in the hallway.

 

            She moved forward into the room a couple meters and stopped again, listening.  She still didn’t hear anything.  Callista took another step forward, but this time, she left something under her foot as she stepped down.  A stick?  She pressed down a little harder, and the object underfoot made a _snapping_ noise.  Her next step met with the same results. 

 

            She turned around to look at Ellina, whose form she could barely make out, still standing in the open doorway.  She raised her lightsaber higher and used it to motion Ellina forward.

 

            Ellina stepped forward, and as soon as she crossed through the archway, faint lights began flickering, slowly illuminating a vast chamber.  Ellina had stopped as soon as the lights appeared, and was watching all around her as the lights became brighter, finally settling into a soft glow.

 

            While the chamber wasn’t exactly bright, there was enough light for them to comfortably see their surrounding, and Callista shut down her lightsaber.  In the absence of the lightsaber’s familiar and comforting _humming_, the room sounded deathly quiet.  Callista shifted her weight to look around, and a slight crunching underfoot caused her to glance down.

 

            What she saw made her jump back in horror, instinctively reigniting her lightsaber, bringing the topaz blade up as she glanced around the chamber.  The cracking noise she had assumed were sticks were actually bones.  Arm bones of two skeletons stretched out on the floor in front of her.


	7. Chapter 7

 

            Ellina let out a muffled shriek of surprise and moved to spin away, but was stopped by Callista’s grip on her arm.

 

            “It’s alright,” Callista relaxed her grip.  “They’re only skeletons,” she smiled faintly, but Ellina could see that she, too, had been shaken by the sight.  “They’re long dead.”

 

            Ellina nodded, trying to put up a brave front, but she was glad that she hadn’t ventured down this far on her own.  She wasn’t sure what she would have done if she stumbled upon this scene by herself.

 

            Callista stepped closer to the skeletons and knelt down beside the closest one, the one who had been unfortunate enough to have its arm in the way of her feet.  She glanced over the body of bones, but was unable to discern anything from it.  Whoever it was, it had been in this place long enough for any identifying articles to disintegrate.  She had just started to rise and move over to the other skeleton when she glanced up and noticed movement out of the corner of her eye.

 

            “Ellina, get down,” she managed to call out as she instinctively spun away from the movement, bringing her lightsaber up and turning it on in one smooth movement.

 

            _No._  Callista heard the voice in her head, and spun around, searching for the source.  More movement made her spin around again, and she caught sight of a small, winged form circling above their heads.

 

            _Please._  She heard the voice again, and had the feeling it was the circling form above them that was responsible.

 

            “Who are you?” Callista called out, eyes never leaving the air – and the being – above her.

 

            _A friend._  It dropped lower, and Callista could see a small body supported by large, leathery white wings.  She took a step back and relaxed her grip on her lightsaber – barely.  The voice sounded non-threatening, but she had seen – and been through – too much to relax her guard.

 

            By this time, Ellina had climbed to her feet again – she had hit the ground with a lightning quick reflex at Callista’s warning, and despite the fact she had landed face to face with one of the skeletons, did an admirable job of keeping herself under control.

 

            The strange-looking being circled even lower before finally landing in front of the two women, and neither of them could keep from staring at the unusual sight before them.  Once on the ground, the creature proved to be small indeed – less than half a meter tall, but with large wings that, once folded, drug on the ground behind it.  It was covered in thick fur that, at first glance, looked like a grey-touched beige, but rippled with color every time the being moved.  Its face was rodent-like, and it possessed small paws topped with nimble-looking fingers.

 

            “Who are you?”  Callista asked again, while Ellina muttered under her breath, “_What_ are you?”

 

            _The Guardian._  It regarded both of them with a benevolent gaze.  It had, Callista realized, been examining them as closely as they had been it.

 

            “It says it’s a guardian,” Callista turned to Ellina, and the younger woman nodded.

 

            “I know, I heard it,” she said.

 

            Callista raised an eyebrow, and turned back to the being, who returned the look. 

 

_            I am The Guardian, if you don’t mind.  Not _a _guardian._  Callista heard Ellina’s giggle at the creature’s sass.

 

            _Guardians_…the word raised a flag in Callista’s memory, and she tried to remember where she had heard it.  So many stories, myths and legends to sort through…some embellished tales, some merely fantasy…

 

            “They put you here, didn’t they?  The Masters?”  Callista asked, and the creature rippled it fur, causing a riot of color to flare briefly before fading again.

 

            _You have been taught well, young one,_ it responded.  _Yes, I am one of the guardians of the archives._

 

            “Then this is one of the Archives,” Callista slowly spun around in a circle, taking in the chamber around her, although all she could see was empty space and the smooth block walls made of the same material as the outer hall.

 

            _Was_, the Guardian’s fur colored again, and flattened slightly.  _I am the only thing that is left._

 

            “What happened?” Ellina, who had been silent throughout the conversation thus far, piped up.

 

            The Guardian turned to look at her, then regarded Callista again.  _You did not tell her?_

 

            _No.  I wasn’t sure._  Callista thought in her head, not sure if the Guardian would be able to hear her or not.  Based on the ruffling of the creature’s fur, it did.

 

            _Whatever happened to listening to your instincts,_ it grumbled, and Callista had a feeling it wasn’t expecting an answer.

 

            _You are a well-read student,_ it turned its attention to Ellina, who shrugged.  _You know about the Jedi Knights?_  When Ellina nodded, the Guardian gnashed in teeth together.  _Then use your head, child_, it chided her.  Ellina blinked a couple times, then glanced at Callista.

 

            “You’re a Jedi?”  she asked tentatively, thinking about the lightsaber and the ease with which Callista seemed to handle unusual situations.

 

            “Was,” Callista said.

 

            _Is_, came the Guardian’s reply in her head.

 

            _Was_, she argued back, and the Guardian thrashed its tail in agitation.

 

            “I –” her voice faltered slightly “ – I can’t touch the Force anymore, but I was trained as Jedi, yes.”

 

            _As will you,_ the Guardian turned its attention on Ellina, who took a step backwards and glanced between Callista and the Guardian.  The little creature regarded her with what she swore was a bemused look.  Ellina’s mind was spinning, and she couldn’t think of what to say first, so she finally settled on, “How?”

 

            _The ‘how’ is unimportant,_ came the placid response.  _But I assure you, it is true.  You were meant to find this place.  It…responds…to Force users._

 

            “Responds?” Callista raised an eyebrow and glanced back at the skeletons.

 

            _No,_ the Guardian sensed her next question.  _I did that._

 

            “_You_ did that?” Ellina looked wide-eyed at the being.

 

            _Yes,_ its fur rippled with pride, and Callista made a mental note to herself to not make the creature angry.  It may have had the appearance of a cute pet, but clearly it possessed powerful Force abilities.  A sudden thought crossed her mind…

 

            “How are you speaking to me?”  she asked the being.  “I can’t touch the Force anymore.  Telepathic communication shouldn’t work.”

 

            _I am The Guardian,_ it said, giving her a look that clearly said it knew something she didn’t.

 

            “Well, that’s helpful,” Callista muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes and regarded the being with a baleful look.

 

            _There are some things only time can reveal,_ came the cryptic reply.  _Destiny is not meant to be interfered with._

 

            “Okay,” Callista out her hands up before the Guardian could continue dispensing its puzzling commentary, “what are we doing here?”

 

            “There is a disturbance in the Force,” the Guardian said.

 

            “You talk!” Ellina exclaimed.

 

            “Yes,” the Guardian nodded.  “It has been a long while since I communicated with anyone telepathically, and it can be tiring.” 

 

            It paused and glanced back and forth at the two women.  “There is unrest stirring in the Outer Rim,” it finally said.

 

            “There’s always some kind of unrest in the Outer Rim,” Callista protested.  “It’s so vast and fragmented, it’s nearly impossible to maintain much semblance of order and cohesiveness there.”

 

            “That is the problem,” the Guardian said.  “What do you suppose would happen if the Outer Rim were organized?”

 

            Callista shrugged.  “That would depend on who was organizing, wouldn’t it?  The Republic has been trying for years, with limited success.  Some of the systems recognize the New Republic, but others aren’t even aware that the Empire’s been gone for years.  Why?  Are you saying that someone is trying to collectively organize the systems in the Outer Rim – against the New Republic?”

 

            “You _are_ a quick one,” the Guardian observed.

 

            “Is this a rhetorical situation?” Callista asked.

 

            “That is for you to determine,” the Guardian said.  It rustled its fur again, then slowly unfurled its wings.  _You will have many decisions to face in the coming weeks, Callista Ming,_ it fixed its gaze on Callista, blinked a couple times, then launched itself in the air.  With several flaps of its powerful wings, the Guardian quickly rose above their heads, and flew off in the direction it had come.


	8. Chapter 8

 

_            It knew my name._ Somehow, that thought struck Callista as the most curious as she watched the Guardian spiral out of sight. She couldn’t make sense out of half of what she had be told – she had been told that the Guardians were good at being cryptic – but she couldn’t forget its last words. What did it know about her and her future? Had it known they were coming? Directed them there?

            She frowned at that last thought. She didn’t like being directed by outside sources – call it what you like, it still came down to being manipulated, something she didn’t appreciate. And what were the ominous warnings about galactic unrest all about? She needed to get out of the empty chamber and into a place where she could clear her head.

            “What was that all about?” Ellina’s voice broke the silence that had descended upon them as she stared in the direction the Guardian had vanished.

            Callista wordlessly shook her head and gestured towards the doorway, pausing once before exiting to cast one more glance around the empty chamber. As she turned towards the door again, she swore she heard something – less than a whisper, even – and a faintly cool sensation against the back of her neck. She fought the urge to shudder and bolt for the door, instead closing her eyes for a moment before making her way back to the doorway. Her hand never strayed very far from her lightsaber, though.

            The two women exited the underground chamber without another word, and stayed silent until they had cleared the last step and were standing in the overgrown forest once again.

            “Did that actually just happen?” Ellina wondered out loud, not expecting a response, and not getting one, for Callista was wrapped up in her own ruminations about their experience down in the chamber. The whole thing left her with a very uneasy feeling, and she recognized it as waiting for something – she just didn’t know _what_ – to happen.

            Callista hated living with that kind of uncertainty. She had to be proactive, try to stop something before it could happen – if she knew what that something was. She blew out a frustrated breath and turned to Ellina. “Let’s get back to the camp, see if Bazin’s turned anything – or anyone – up.”

            Ellina nodded and began walking back the way they had come earlier. Callista followed behind her, casting one last glance at the entrance to the mysterious chamber.

            The dig site was completely empty. Not only was it devoid of any signs of life, but it had been completely cleared of all signs of previous habitation. The shredded tents and scattered books were all gone, and the only thing that kept Callista from asking Ellina if she had taken them to the wrong spot were the blood splashes on the tree trunks.

            The situation was just getting stranger and stranger, in Callista’s opinion, and this latest occurrence did nothing to quell the bad feeling that she was developing.

  
            “Maybe Bazin and some others cleaned it up,” Ellina offered hopefully, and Callista just nodded, not wanting to crush the young woman’s hopes, but knowing it was very unlikely that was what had occurred. More likely, the attacker had come back to finish the job, and that solidified in Callista’s mind the certainty that this hadn’t been a random animal attack. This had been deliberate – but why?

            A rustling noise in the underbrush made Callista spin around, hand automatically going to the lightsaber at her side, but there was no accompanying movement to match the sound. Again, the rustling came, this time followed by a whispery groaning, and Callista pulled her lightsaber free, but unbladed for the moment, and cautiously made her way over towards the noise.

            She didn’t hear anything again for several moments, but continued in the direction that she suspected the noise had originated from, still tightly gripping her lightsaber.

            A crackling from behind had her spinning around again, but the only thing she saw was Ellina, still standing in the middle of the clearing, glancing around curiously, if a bit nervously, and she started forward again, nearly tripping over something in her path.

            No, make that some_one_. Bazin Jessa’s still form lay half buried in the undergrowth, blood still seeping from open wounds.

            “Bazin,” Callista gasped, horrified, as she dropped down on the ground next to her friend. She rolled him over, wincing at the sight of the deep gashes and bruising that she could see through his torn shirt.

            Bazin groaned, and his eyes snapped open, unfocused and frightened, before he tried to scramble away. “Get…away…no more…” he slurred before collapsing again.

            “Bazin, it’s me,” Callista laid a hand on his shoulder, and Bazin’s eyes focused from a brief moment.

            “Callista…attack…everyone…dead...trap…waiting…” Bazin took a rattling breath. “Tried to stop…him…sorry…” He weakly gripped Callista’s hand. “Don’t know why…” With another shaky breath, Bazin released his hold on Callista and slumped to the ground.

            “No!” Callista cried. “Bazin, wake up. Stay with me. I need to know what happened. Who’s he?”

            But Bazin Jessa would not answer, for the mysterious and violent attack had taken its toll, and he had stayed alive only long enough to pass on the cryptic warning to Callista.

            _Blast it, why does this always happen to everyone around me?_ Callista slammed a hand into the ground angrily, cursing at the universe in general, and more specifically at the darker elements of it that caused things like this to happen.

            She was startled out of her thoughts by Ellina’s cry, a warning that gave her just enough time to duck out of the way of the boot that had been aimed at her head. She dropped and rolled out of the way, then jumped back on her feet, lightsaber blazing to life in her hand as she sized up her attacker, whom she only assumed was the individual behind the rest of the attacks.

            He was tall, with dark red hair and a menacing attitude, but what surprised Callista was his youth. He couldn’t have been any older than Ellina. And he was holding a lightsaber, blood-red blade glowing in the dimly lit forest.

            _That explains a lot, _Callista thought to herself, remembering the strange nature of the state of destruction of the camp. Deep down, she knew it had been caused by a lightsaber – few things in the galaxy left that clean of a cut – but she had fervently hoped she was wrong. Apparently not.

            “No one said there would be a Jedi here,” the youth hissed, voice low and angry as he glared at Callista. “But no matter. You will not stand in the way of my goal.”

            “And what would that be?” Callista kept her voice cool and she subtly shifted into a stance that would give her more balance against the attack she was sure would come at any time.

            “Be quiet,” he snapped. “Now, where’s the chamber. You know the way, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

            “How can I tell if you I’m supposed to be quiet?” Sarcasm, she reflected, probably hadn’t been the brightest idea, nor the best way to keep her opponent calm, as the youth snarled his rage and came at her, lightsaber swinging low and fast.

            Callista whipped her blade around, yellow meeting red in a sizzling clash, and she gritted her teeth against the strength behind her opponent’s swing.

            _Don’t these guys ever quit?_ she thought, exasperated at the idea of facing off against yet another what she could only assume was a Dark Side user.

            _No, of course not,_ she ducked a swing at her head, and blocked the next attack that had been aimed at her side. She was forced to call upon all of the training she had received just in order to stay on par with her opponent, who, despite his relative youth, was talented. Very talented.

            She brought her lightsaber up to parry a series of fast attacks at her head, designed to thrown her off balance and weaken her defense. All the while, she could feel the faint whispers at the back of her mind, beckoning her, tantalizing her with possibility of being able to end this fight, if only she would tap into her potential…all the power the Dark Side had to offer.

            _No!_ she slammed a lid on that thought, concentrating instead on her opponent’s moves – while he was strong, and talented, she could see he was also sloppy, with a style that indicated very little formal training, and pure instinct. She might be able to use that to her advantage.

            Callista was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t realize that her opponent had thrown a backhand punch with one hand until she felt his fist collide with her jaw. Her head snapped to the side, and she staggered back, one hand going up to her mouth, nerves screaming in pain. Her wide gray eyes glared at the young man, who responded with a self-satisfied sneer, twirling his lightsaber in an impressive pattern around his body.

            _Great. He fights dirty, too. But two can play at this game._ Callista ignored the pain in her jaw, spun, and threw an outward crescent kick. The man was unprepared for her attack, and he cried out as her foot struck him in the face, causing him to stagger back several steps.

            Their blades clashed again, and Callista spun around, disengaging her blade and whirling around her opponent, whipping her foot around to catch him behind the knees. Although the move didn’t have the intended effect of sending him to the ground, it did knock him off balance and give Callista a few precious seconds to collect herself up for the next round of fighting.

            But she was unprepared for the retaliation, as he sprang at her, pure malevolence and fury radiating from him, and she knew she had to do something to end the fight, and fast, as she raised her lightsaber up, just managing to block his furious attack.

            The clearing was filled with the sound of the two lightsabers clashing against each other relentlessly, Callista still managing to hold off her opponent’s attacks as she searched for a weakness in his fighting.

            But he was lightning fast, easily countering every strike she made towards him. She was fast running out of options – and space, as she realized their fight had taken them around the clearing, and back towards the dense underbrush, which she figured she might be able to use to her advantage, although fighting in tight, close quarters had never been her favorite.

            An invisible fist smashed into her chest, shoving her against a tree. Callista felt the air leave her body in an agonizing rush. She tried to regain her breath, but every time she drew air, she felt pain. Her opponent had used a Force blow against her and had either broken or bruised several of her ribs in the process. She had also dropped her lightsaber.

            As her eyes scanned the ground around her, frantically searching for her weapon, the young man threw a vicious front-kick that connected with her chest, increasing the agony in her ribs. Callista gasped, then doubled over as a second kick hit her in the stomach. She dropped to one knee, her hands wrapped around her midsection.

            _Come on, Callista! Focus! Don’t let this wannabe Jedi get the best of you!_

_            If I had the Force, this guy wouldn’t have lasted ten seconds against me. He’s got a huge advantage over me._

            Distinctly, she was aware that he was bringing his lightsaber down toward her head. With a whimper, she managed to dodged the incoming blow. The blade ended up slicing the tree behind her in half. Callista somersaulted away from him and rolled to her feet, putting some distance between her and her mysterious attacker.

            _Who is this guy?_ she wondered. _What does he want with us? And why did he kill my friends?_

_            Maybe if I ask him politely..._

            He was coming at her again, and Callista backed away from him. Guess not, she thought, her eyes still searching for her lightsaber. _Come on, come on. Where did you go?_

_            There!_ Her weapon lay deactivated under some brush. She dove for it, scooped up the hilt, and switched on the blade, just as her opponent bore down on her.

            Red and yellow interlocked, producing sparks that flew in all directions. The red-haired young man pressed down with all his might, forcing both blades toward Callista’s face. She gritted her teeth as she pushed back with equal might, and for several long seconds, they were at a standstill.

            Suddenly, the man pushed both blades into a large, round arc. The blow caught Callista off guard, and her weapon was knocked out of her hands. Unfortunately, her opponent was still armed with his, and he grinned at her mercilessly.

            Rather than panic, Callista merely smiled back at him as she brought her foot up, kicking at the man’s hand and forcing him to lose his grip on the lightsaber. It sailed just out of his reach.

            The man’s look of surprise gave way to determination. As Callista strode over to him to put an end to this fight, he pulled out a small cylindrical object from his pocket. He depressed a button on its side, and Callista watched in amazement as the cylinder expanded several feet, becoming a full-length staff.

            The man’s smile widened as he slowly stalked toward Callista, expertly twirling the staff around him. Obviously, he was no stranger to this type of weapon; he knew how to use it. Callista stood in a fighting stance, her hands held in front of her, open-handed. She kept eye contact with her opponent; eye contact was important in a fight like this. It would help her determine what his next move would be. And since she didn’t have the Force on her side, that would have to do.

            Unfortunately, she underestimated the man’s speed. He brought his staff hard into Callista’s left hip, accompanied by a loud crack, and she let out a pained cry. It felt like the blow had broken something–

            The man spun around and brought his staff up, around, and into Callista’s right hip. Another cracking sound resounded in the air, and Callista bit her tongue to prevent from screaming. She was losing this fight, and badly. She had to figure out a way to regain the upper hand soon before–

            She dodged a third blow that would have knocked her head clean off her shoulders. But no sooner had she stood back up did her opponent jab the staff into her diaphragm. Callista dropped to one knee, much of the fight going out of her.

            Her opponent stood over her, the smile never having left his face. “You know, for a so-called Jedi,” he taunted, “you were a big disappointment.”

            He then brought the staff down upon her staff–

            –just as Callista’s hands came up, snatching the staff in mid-air. She kept a tight grip on the weapon as she performed a perfect flip over her opponent’s head. She sent both feet into the man’s upper back, knocking him forward and off balance. When she landed on her feet, she turned around, having finally regained the upper hand.

            The red-haired Force-user turned around, the smile having been replaced by an enraged snarl.

            _Well, he can dish it out, but he sure can’t take it._ Callista waved him forward with her fingers, beckoning him to make the first move.

            He took the bait, just as she knew he would. Callista turned and ran away from him, heading for a nearby tree. As the red-head bore down on her with his staff, Callista grabbed one of the tree’s branches, swung around the tree once, and knocked the man away with a powerful aerial side-kick. He lost his grip on the staff as he stumbled backwards.

            Callista let go of the branch and landed gracefully on her feet, snatching the staff in both hands. Not giving her opponent a chance to recover, she swept his feet off the ground with the staff, and he landed flat on his back.

            _I got him! Take him out!_

            Callista brought the staff down, just as the redheaded man called his lightsaber back into his hand. The red blade exploded to life, slicing the staff in half.

            Callista grimaced. _Well, so much for that._ She threw the useless weapon–both pieces–to the ground, went over and retrieved her lightsaber, and the two opponents clashed blades once again.

            _Use the dark side. Just tap into it and fry him with Force lightning. It’s easy..._

_            No! I won’t give in!_

            She briefly wondered where Ellina had gotten to, and hoped the girl had managed to duck behind a bush or find some cover, when a stone came flying from off to the side to hit her opponent in the head. It wasn’t large enough to do serious damage, but it drew his attention away from Callista to the source of the projectile – Ellina.

            The Dark Jedi’s eyes widened, and he whirled away from Callista and towards Ellina with a speed Callista wouldn’t have believed was possible, and before she knew it, he had wrapped his arm around Ellina’s throat, dragging the young woman close and holding his lightsaber close to her neck.

            “This changes things,” he said, a sadistic smile playing across his face. “Now, you tell me where the chamber is,” he brought his lightsaber closer to Ellina’s face, and she squirmed, eyes wide with terror, before bringing her foot up and stomping on her captor’s booted toes.

            He cried out in surprise, but didn’t relinquish his hold on Ellina. “You’ve got spirit,” he whispered in her ear. “And anger…fear…I can feel it,” he slowly tightened his fingers around her throat, holding her in place.

            He returned his attention to Callista. “Now, you’re going to take me to the chamber.” He let his lightsaber waver close to Ellina, leaving the threat unspoken, but clear.

            “Wait…” Ellina whispered. “_I’m_ the one that knows where the chamber is.”

            The Dark Jedi’s eyes widened, and with a wave of his hand, send Callista flying back with a powerful Force push. She smacked into the trunk of a large tree, back taking the majority of the impact before her head slammed into the tree, sending her spiraling into darkness.

            Ellina looked on, horrified, and when Callista hit the tree, she tried to bolt forward, but the Dark Jedi seized her arm and yanked her around to him again. “Take me to the chamber – now!” he hissed at her and shoved her forward, lightsaber held at her back, lest she try to escape.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

 

            The pain was the first thing that registered in Callista’s mind as she slowly regained consciousness.  Her skull felt like a herd of banthas had stamped over it – several times – and her entire body hurt.  She couldn’t even begin to determine where exactly she was injured, but based on the shooting pain emanating from her side when she tried to move, she was pretty sure she had at least cracked a couple ribs.

 

            A flash of color caught her eye and distracted her from her self-diagnosis, and she looked up to find the Guardian hovering over her, wings beating just enough to keep it aloft.  Seeing that it had her attention, the Guardian fluttered his wings and lowered himself down to perch on Callista’s shoulder.

 

            She braced herself, expecting a smart remark to come from the little creature, based on her previous experience with it, but when she looked closer, she saw that its normally colorful fur was muted, the bright colors faded to pale pastels, and it looked back at her with a dejected expression in its dark eyes.

 

            _I have failed_, its voice echoed dully in her head.  _For centuries, the chamber remained mostly undisturbed.  But now, things have been set in motion, things that should not be meddled in!_

 

            “What do you mean?” Callista whispered, experimentally moving various body parts, and trying to figure out the extent of her injuries.

 

            The Guardian looked her over, as if casting its own evaluation of her condition before answering.  _It’s no accident that you happened upon this place.  You were called here._  Callista just looked at it skeptically.  _Think about it,_ the Guardians fur ruffled, and Callista could see it was regaining some of its brighter colors.  _You could have chosen to continue your travels.  Why did you stop here?_

 

            “One can only travel with Gamorreans for so long and still keep their wits and dignity about them,” Callista muttered, and flinched at the light swipe from the Guardian’s paw against her bruised jaw.

 

            _Impertinent.  You are _needed_ here,_ the Guardian persisted.  _This chamber – and others across the galaxy – are hiding places for pieces of a crystal.  I, along with some of my kinsfolk, were tasked with the job of guarding these pieces.  But I was tricked!_  The Guardian’s fur ruffled, and several of its colors flashed angrily.  _The chamber is only supposed to respond to a Light Side Force user – which it did._

 

            “Ellina.”  Callista nodded. 

 

            _Yes.  The chamber responded to her once._

 

            “That’s why we were attacked, then.  This Dark Jedi needed to get into the chamber, and needed one of us to do it.  Except he thought it was me,” Callista looked down at the ground.

 

            _His name is Malinse, and he was sent here to retrieve the crystal,_ the Guardian’s tail swished, a sign Callista was learning to recognize as an expression of displeasure.

 

            “You talked to him?” Callista raised an eyebrow and moved to get up, whimpering with pain as she did so.

 

            _Ach, stay still, you impatient child,_ the Guardian chided her.  _You won’t feel any better by getting up too quickly.  I did not need to talk to him, but I pulled it from his mind.  Minds broadcast things when emotions are high, and he was highly agitated.  That could have had something to do with the struggle Ellina was putting up.  She was most uncooperative._

 

            “Good for her,” Callista groaned and laid back against the ground, and the Guardian fluttered up to sit on her knee.  “Can I ask you something, before this goes any further?  I have a feeling I’m going to be seeing a lot more of you, so tell me: do you have a name, or am I going to be calling you The Guardian the entire time?”

 

            _My given name is Choarth.  The Guardian is simply my title, one I share with my kinsfolk, the Chey’In._

 

            Callista nodded, then glanced at him curiously.  “Are you a Jedi?”

 

            _Not as such.  The Chey’In are a naturally Force-sensitive species that have chosen to follow the side of light, and as such, offered our services to the Jedi centuries ago.  We were made guardians of pieces of the Nocturne crystal._

 

            Callista just looked at him curiously.  “I’ve never heard of that before.”

 

            _Most have not.  Unfortunate.  That teaching never should have been lost, but like so many warnings of peril, it was lost to time.  The Nocturne crystal controls a powerful being, the Cheraboch, a Force demon, corrupted and enslaved to the Dark Side.  Whoever controls the crystal controls Cheraboch, and the power to destroy everything in its path.  _

_            It was summoned into being centuries ago by an over-eager Sith apprentice.  The power to summon the demon consumed him before he could finish the ritual, and as such, it has never been properly bound.  The Nocturne crystal holds the power to summon, dispatch, and banish Cheraboch.  When the apprentice’s work was discovered, the Jedi Council was able to banish the demon and split the crystal.  But not entirely.  Before he died, the apprentice hid away a single piece of the crystal.  _

_            In order for the demon to be permanently vanquished, the entire crystal must be pieced back together, and the ritual reversed.  But the missing chip has never been found, and the demon can still be summoned with the majority of the crystal together.  But the one who holds the incomplete crystal will never have total control over it._

 

            Choarth took a breath and sat back on his haunches, curling his tail around his hind legs as Callista stared at him in amazement.  She finally just shook her head.  “You can’t be serious,” she gritted her teeth and hauled herself into an upright position again, and she was amazed to see how some of her aches had receded.

 

            “I know what you’re asking,” she sighed, “but I can’t do that.  Trying to find a missing piece of crystal…in an entire galaxy?”

 

            _There’s more.  You must also see if the other known pieces have been located.  But I know where those are._

 

            Callista stared off into the distance, over the tops of the trees that surrounded the clearing, and into the sky above that was slowly darkening in the oncoming twilight.  “I need help,” she whispered.

 

            _Yes, you do._

 

            She glared at the furry creature, still perched on her knee, and the expression that he looked back with was one of pure innocence.  _I’m going to ignore that,_ she rolled her eyes, but her expression grew troubled as her mind drifted back to the direction it had been going before Choarth’s sarcastic interruption.

 

            She _did _need help, and there was only one person in the entire galaxy she knew could deal with something like this.  Luke.  Just the thought of his name made her catch her breath slightly.  She knew what needed to be done, but she didn’t know if she could go through with it.

 

            Nothing had changed in the three years since she had seen him last.  The Dark Side still lurked in the shadows for her, beckoning her every time she allowed herself to open her mind.  She had said goodbye to him once – she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to do it again.  And she would die before allowing herself to be his downfall.

 

            Choarth pulled her out of her thoughts when Choarth jumped from her knee to her shoulder.  _Time to get up, young one.  There’s work to be done._

 

  

  1. “I don’t know if I can do it,” she said simply.
  



 

            _You must do what needs to be done._

 

            She nodded, then braced herself to climb to her feet.  Surprisingly, while she could still feel pain radiating from her side, and her hips, she was able to climb to her feet and take a few limping, shaky steps.  A quick evaluation revealed that at least one rib had been cracked, with another couple bruised.  Her hips, she was unsure about.  She swore she had heard something crack, but she didn’t think she would have been able to walk had that been the case.  Maybe they were just bruised.

 

            “Okay,” she breathed, and felt Choarth’s paws grip her shoulder in response.  “Let’s go.”

 

***

 

            Night had fallen by the time Callista slowly made her way back into town.  The streets were quiet – too quiet for her liking, and she hastened along to Bazin’s shop after stopping at her small apartment to gather a small bag of personal belongings.  She frowned at the thought of the senseless death of her friend, and hardened her resolve to do whatever it took to stop this Dark Jedi…what had Choarth called him?  Malinse.

 

            She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Bazin’s shop had been untampered with – at the rate the day had been going, she hadn’t been sure what to expect.  She entered the darkened hangar and flipped on the closest light switch, shedding a soft, pale yellow light on the surroundings.

 

            Bazin’s personal ship, the _Righteous Indignation_, sat in the middle of the hangar, dark grey sides absorbing much of the light around it.  Bazin’s personal droid, R7-XA5, an experimental model of astromech droid with feminine programming and the attitude to match, trundled out from behind the ship, offering a faint _tweep_ to Callista,

 

            “Hi, Arseva,” Callista said automatically as she keyed in the sequence to lower the ship’s ramp.  R7-XA5, or Arseva as she was affectionately known by, followed behind Callista, whistling a query.

 

            “Bazin-” Callista’s voice caught “-Bazin’s not coming back,” she whispered, dropping a hand lightly on top of the little droid’s domed cap.  Arseva let out a mournful whistle, and lightly bumped against Callista’s leg.

 

            “I need your help, though,” Callista continued.  “I need you to help me fly the _Righteous._”

 

            Arseva warbled an affirmative and rolled up the ramp, Callista following behind the little droid.  It took her a couple minutes to re-familiarize herself with the ship’s controls, as she had only flown it a couple of times before, but between herself and Arseva, they were able to get the ship airborne shortly.

 

            After clearing the atmosphere of the planet, Callista leaned back in the pilot’s chair and took a deep breath, steadying herself.  “Okay, Arseva, set coordinates for Yavin 4.”  She rubbed her hands over her face and wondered what the coming days would bring, and smiled as she felt Choarth gently pat a paw against her hair before draping himself over her shoulder and going to sleep as the ship entered hyperspace.


	10. Chapter 10

 

            Ellina frowned at the ropes that were chaffing against her wrists.  She had been trying for the past hour to loosen her bindings, but to no avail.  She glared up at the red-head who had captured her, but his attention was focused on the ship’s controls in front of him.

 

            She glanced around the cramped interior of the ship, searching for something she might be able to use to free herself, but nothing had materialized since the last time she had looked.  Or the time before that.  She didn’t even know where they were going, as the location she had been unceremoniously dumped in was at the wrong angle for her to be able to see the navicomputer.  All she could see were the swirling white lines of hyperspace.

 

            Ellina wiggled into a more upright position and cleared her throat, but her captor didn’t even glance in her direction.

 

            _Alright, mister, you want to be like that?  Fine!_  With that, Ellina began softly humming a well known - and very irritating - tune from a popular amusement park attraction on Coruscant.  At first, there was no response, but after several minutes, she could see her captor’s irritation levels building.  _Perfect._

 

            She stopped humming just as he spun around in his chair, and she schooled her expression into one of carefully crafted nonchalance.  Her glared at her, then spun back around, just as Ellina grinned wickedly and started humming again, building in volume until she could see he had nearly reached his breaking point, then ceased, innocent expression still firmly in place.

 

            While her captor’s back was still turned, she took the opportunity to try rubbing her wrists together yet again, but the ropes still stubbornly held, and all she succeeded in doing was reopening some of the raw scrapes and rope burns across her wrists.  She bit back a whimper of pain and sat back, glowering at the back of her captor’s head.

 

            _Sithspawned son of a Bothan, _Ellina thought furiously.  She was thirsty and tired, her wrists were aching, and she still had no clue what she was doing here, and why this guy had taken her.  She let her thoughts drift for a moment, back to the events that had brought her here, and wondered if Callista was alright, if she was even still alive.

 

***

 

            She had taken him to the chamber, albeit reluctantly, where he had forced her to open up the door.  Being that she was the first one through, the chamber lights had come on, and the obnoxious man had been able to stride into the chamber, dragging Ellina behind him.

 

            _Some Guardian,_ Ellina groused to herself.  The little winged creature had taken the credit for the skeletons lying on the chamber floor, but all it took was one wave of her kidnapper’s hand, and the Guardian had gone flying through the air, only to slam up against the far wall of the chamber.  After that, she had watched as the Dark Jedi – at least, that’s what she figured he was – walk over to a rock structure in the middle of the chamber, and after examining it for a moment, kick one of the center stones hard with his boot heel.

 

            The rock has shattered into dozens of fragments that fell to the floor at the same time a fine white mist blew out of the hole.  The man had jumped back as soon as the rock shattered, and therefore missed getting sprayed with the mist, which Ellina thought was a pity as she watched in horrified fascination and the mist settled on the rock fragments and began melting them.  She supposed it must have seen some kind of salt acid, which she had heard of being used as a method of protecting ancient tombs from grave robbers.  She had just never seen it in use before.

 

            After the mist cleared away, she saw the man take the end of his deactivated lightsaber and poke it cautiously in the hole.  Nothing happened, which Ellina thought was a shame.  She wished he had just stuck his hand in the hole and gotten bitten by some nasty insect, or had the life drained out of him, or…she shook her head.  _Ghost stories, silly,_ she thought to herself.  She had been hearing too many fire-side tales of archaeological digs going wrong. 

 

            The man finally did stick his hand in the opening and felt around a bit, emerging with something clenched in his hand.  Ellina couldn’t see what it was, but she did manage to catch a glimpse of something red and shimmering, almost like a crystal of some sort.

 

            “Alright, let’s go,” he growled as he stalked past her, snatching her arm as he went by  and dragging her along behind him.

 

            Ellina whimpered a few times – the grip he had on her wrist hurt! – and she stumbled along behind time, trying, without success, to break loose.  He hauled her out of the chamber and into the corridor, where he roughly flung her to the side.

 

            Ellina hit the wall with her back, and she felt all of the breath escape from her lungs as she slid down to the ground, all of her muscles screaming in agony from the unaccustomed abuse.  She curled up into a ball on the ground and clenched her teeth, trying desperately to suck air back into her lungs.

 

            She finally managed a wheezing breath, which was enough to allow her to open her eyes and watch as the man slammed the door to the chamber shut and ignited his lightsaber, driving the red blade into the disguised rock panel that served as the means to open the chamber.  Sparks erupted from the wall, and Ellina thought she heard a faint groan coming from the door. 

 

            That task completed, her captor whirled around and yanked her off the ground, ignoring her yelps of pain as he dragged her up the stairs.  When they reached the top, he released her arm, letting her drop into a heap on the ground, where she spent several minutes trying to catch her breath again.

 

            “What do you want with me?” she whispered when she had her breath back.  “I opened the chamber for you, just let me go.”

 

            “You’re far too important for me to do that,” he leered at her, and reached down and hauled her to her feet again.  “Besides, you never know when there’s another chamber to be opened.”  With that, he shoved her forward, one hand between her shoulder blades, driving her forward into the dense underbrush.

 

***

 

            Ellina scowled at the thoughts she had dredged up.  Apparently not convinced that she would willing submit to capture, her captor had tied her wrists with rope once they had reached a clearing in the woods where he had landed his ship.

 

            After he tied her wrists, and turned around to look in the cargo hold, Ellina had bolted for the still-lowered ramp.  Even with her wrists bound, she made it down the ramp and halfway across the cleaning before the was tackled to the ground, had her ankles tied, and was carried back to the ship, where she had been unceremoniously dumped in the corner she now occupied.

 

            At least she had managed to pick at the knot around her ankles.  Even with her hands bound behind her back, she had been able to tuck her legs up behind her and reach her ankles.  The knot tying her ankles together had been tied sloppily, and after a couple hours, and had managed to pick it loose.  She still left the rope around her ankles to give the appearance of being restrained, figuring that might work to her advantage.


	11. Chapter 11

The glint of sunlight off metal caught Luke’s eye, and he glanced out the window in time to see an unfamiliar ship land on the small landing pad outside the Great Temple.  Its design and configuration were unknown to him, but he supposed that one of the supply runners had been tinkering with a new toy again.   He suspected Kyp, Tionne or Cilghal, the usual Jedi in residence, had also noticed the ship, and would take care of unloading any cargo.

 

            Luke  pushed the matter from his mind, turning his attention back to the datapad he had been scrolling through, files Leia had sent to him the previous day.  She had actually contacted him shortly after returning to Coruscant, to further discuss some of the concerns she had mentioned, but never elaborated on.

 

            From what he had been able to gather, Leia has heard some rumors about more frequent occurrences of disruptions on several Outer Rim worlds, worlds that normally lived a relatively peaceful existence.  Well, peaceful for the Outer Rim, at least.  Several worlds were teetering on the brink of civil war, and the most disconcerting part was, no one could figure out the driving force behind it.

 

            Worlds with no prior conflicts were all suddenly dividing, families turning against each other, bringing forth baseless accusations and buried histories.  As far as Luke could tell, Leia had every reason to be concerned.  It had been a while since the galaxy – and the Republic – had seen this degree of unexplained unrest.  Perhaps it was time for the Jedi to get involved in their own investigation.

 

            Luke mentally ran through the whereabouts of the Jedi that would be appropriate for him to send out to do some subtle information gathering.  Kyp Durron would be an ideal choice.  He was used to subterfuge and had the ability to blend in to populations with relative ease.  Kyp’s apprentice, Gynia Tacey, a young Corellian woman with unruly blonde hair and a fearless attitude would welcome the mission, and Luke figured it would be a good chance for the  young woman to learn how to control her desire of excitement and adventure, as it was likely that they would see very little action during their information gathering.

 

            Kyp and Gynia would probably be able to handle the majority of the planets Leia had mentioned to him, even with the travel between planets.  He didn’t want to spread the Jedi’s resources too thin at this point, since he wasn’t even sure what the problem was, or where their attention would be needed the most.  There were still far too few Jedi Knights in the galaxy to be able to send too many of them out of a whim.  Kyp and Gynia would gather what information they could, and hopefully be able to give a greater perspective on what they might be facing.

 

            His thoughts were interrupted by a light knock on the doorway, and Tionne poked her head it.  “Pardon me, Master Skywalker,” she said softly, “but there’s someone here to see you.”

 

            “Send them in,” Luke said, his thoughts still focused on the unrest in the Outer Rim as he stared out the window and across the treetops of the jungle that surrounded the Temple.  He heard Tionne speaking softly to someone, then the quiet click of the door closing.  He cast a final glance across the treetops, then turned around, and for a moment, the entire world froze in place.

 

            Callista stood silently in the middle of the room, watching Luke as he stared out the window.  She could tell, just from his posture, the slight droop to his shoulders, that something was weighting on his mind, and at the moment, she hated herself for bringing yet another problem before him.

 

            She had left Choarth with Tionne, who had been puzzled, but very accommodating, even greeting Callista with a warm smile as she had stepped down the ramp of the _Righteous Indignation_.  The kind Jedi woman hadn’t asked Callista many questions, but had simply led her to where Luke kept a small personal office space of sorts.  For that, Callista was grateful, as well as for the light squeeze of reassurance on her shoulder Tionne had given her as she stepped into the office.

 

            Blue eyes met grey when Luke turned around, and for several moments, neither of them moved, both feeling as though they had gone back in time, as though the last four years had never happened.  Luke stepped forward hesitantly, a step at a time, until he was standing in front of her.  He paused, then slowly reached out and brushed his fingers against hers, not quite holding her hand, but maintaining enough contact to make sure she was really real, was really standing in front of him.

 

            “Luke,” she whispered, and started to bring her hand up, but dropped it back down to her side and broke their gaze, glancing off to the side and taking a step back, separating their close proximity.  She looked down at the ground, unsure of what she wanted to say.  She had planned in all out in her head on the way to Yavin 4, but all of her carefully rehearsed words flew right out of her head the moment she had locked eyes with him again.

 

            He stayed silent, watching her as she struggled to gather her thoughts, and using the time to examine her more closely.  She looked as though she had just been in a fight – a colorful bruise marked the edge of her jaw, and her stance indicated she was favoring one side – broken ribs?  That, and combined with the way she kept slightly shifting her weight – he knew her far too well to not notice that she was uncomfortable.  The question was, physically or mentally?  He suspected both.

 

            He saw her take a deep breath, then flinch and press a hand up against her side, and he immediately moved next to her, putting his hands on her arms.  “Come on,” Luke said as he gently turned her around and, with one hand resting on her back, guided her out the door and down the hall in the direction of his apartment.  It might not have been the best move on her obviously tense mental state, but she’d probably be a lot more physically comfortable with a soft chair to sit in.

 

***

 

            Callista glanced around Luke’s apartment as he closed the door behind her.  Everything looked almost the same as when she had last seen it.  There was a plant near the far window that she didn’t recall seeing before, but aside from that, nothing had changed.

 

            “Still the same as you remember?” Luke asked softly as he came up behind her, and she jumped, slightly startled, nerves clearly on edge.  She willed herself to relax, and not focus on how close he was standing to her…

 

            “No redecorating in your spare time?” she quipped and cast a glance around the room again.  She wished it didn’t look so familiar, as if she had merely stepped outside the door for a moment before returning.  It just made being here that much harder…

 

            “Not exactly one of my talents,” he answered with a smile.  “Now go sit down before you fall down – you look exhausted.  Now, what happened?”

 

            Callista crossed the living room and gratefully sank down into the soft cushions of one of the self-conforming recliners, one hand automatically rubbing her ribs.  _Where to begin?_ she sighed, and flinched again. 

 

            Luke walked over and knelt down beside the chair, one hand reaching up and touching her chin.  “Let me see that,” he said, tilting her chin up and eyeing the bruise that decorated the side of her jaw.  He gently traced his fingertips around the edge of the bruising until his hand was resting lightly against her cheek.

 

            Callista leaned into his hand, bringing her own up to cover his, and curling her fingers around his.  They locked eyes again, and Callista could feel herself getting lost in the depths of Luke’s clear blue eyes, eyes that still held so much innocence – and so much pain.  Pain that hadn’t been there the last time she had seen him.  Pain she had unintentionally caused.

 

            Callista bit her lip and cleared her throat, breaking the focus they had on one another.  Luke lowered his hand, although he still kept a light grip on her fingers as she proceeded to explain to him the events of the past several days.

 

            Luke stayed silent as she repeated what the Guardian had told her, his only outer reaction being the concern she could see building in his eyes.  When she reached the part about her fight with the Dark Jedi and her subsequent injuries, she saw him move to put a hand on her side, but caught himself and sat back again.

 

            “I…this is too big for me to deal with by myself,” Callista bowed her head, “that’s why I came back.  I need your help.  I don’t even know where to begin, though.  Ellina…I have no idea where she might have been taken – or why.”  Callista took a shuddering breath, then stood up to pace the room, sore hips protesting and lending a stiff limp to her movement.

 

            “I know he needed a Force sensitive person to open the chamber, but why did he take her with him?” she spun around to pace to the other side of the room, but Luke stopped her halfway, hands on her shoulders.

 

            “Callista, I’ll help you,” Luke caught her troubled gaze.  “Ellina will be fine.  We’ll get her back, I promise,” he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug, mindful of her sore ribs, and Callista couldn’t help slipping her arms around his waist and relishing, for a brief moment, the sensation of being held by him again.

 

            At the faint knock on the door, they both stepped back, Callista focusing on the ground, and a faint flush rising on Luke’s cheeks as went over to open the door.  As he opened it, a blur of color raced through, shot across the room, and with a flap of its wings, launched itself from the ground onto Callista’s shoulder.

 

            “Luke, this is Choarth, the Guardian,” Callista shrugged, unable to hide her bemusement at the creature’s antics.

 

            _You are the one that will help,_ Choarth focused his attention on Luke for a moment, then without waiting for a reply, folded his wings on his back and nuzzled through Callista’s curls until he was draped around the back of her neck.

 

            Luke’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.  “You’ve acquired quite the companion, there,” he said mildly, concealing the brief flash of jealously towards the creature, that it got to nuzzle up against Callista’s neck like that…he slammed a lid on that particular thought, forcing himself to focus on the problem at hand.

 

            He glanced out the window, and was surprised to see how late it had gotten – already, twilight was starting to settle over the tops of the trees.  “There’s probably not much we can get done tonight,” he thought out loud, then glanced over at Callista.  “Do you want to go down to the MedCenter and have someone take a look at you?  I think Cilghal is here right now - ”

 

            Callista wrinkled her nose and shook her head.  “I don’t feel like getting stuck in bacta over a few bruises.  I’ve had worse.”

 

            “I know, tough girl,” Luke gently teased her, and was rewarded with a shy ghost of a smile that passed across her lips.  “How about at least getting some sleep, then?  You can stay in the guest room, if you like.  It’s a bit less noisy than anywhere near the student quarters,” he said hesitantly, and she laid a reassuring hand on his arm.

 

            “I appreciate that,” she smiled and followed him down the short hallway.

 

            “Do you have anything that you need brought up from your ship?” Luke asked as he watched Callista browse around the guest room before eyeing the refresher.

 

            “I do have a small bag,” she nodded, “but I can go get that.”

 

            Luke shook his head.  “You stay here and get cleaned up.  I’ll bring it back up and leave it here for you.”  She smiled her thanks, and quickly made her way to the refresher after he had left.  She desperately needed to get cleaned up more adequately than what the facilities on the _Righteous_ had to offer, and she knew from past experience the hot water would go a long way towards both soothing her muscles and clearing her head, which was a spinning jumble of thoughts and confused emotions at the moment.


	12. Chapter 12

Ellina wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, but she was jostled awake by the rough landing of the Dark Jedi’s ship.  She struggled to get into an upright position, not an easy task with her hands tied behind her back.

 

            When she finally managed to sit up, she could just see the surroundings through the viewport.  The ship appeared to be in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by low hills that were covered in boulders of various sizes, with low-lying shrubbery scattered amongst the rocks.  Dark clouds swirled above the hills, and thunder rumbled off in the distance.

 

            _Great, _Ellina rolled her eyes.  _Could this get any better?_  Only now was she beginning to feel that the actions she had taken when she had left her home might have been slightly reckless and impulsive.  _Maybe I would have been better off staying home, even if it would have meant putting up with that insufferable bantha-brain Willam,_ she groaned.

 

            She stretched as best she could, given her position, and groaned again as she felt her spine pop in a couple places.  _This has got to be the most uncomfortable place to sleep in the whole galaxy.  A venom-seeker’s lair would be more hospitable that this_, she thought, remembering one of the native creatures of her homeworld, and in particular the one who had taken up residence near her town.  A slender, winged beast with lightning fast reflexes and shimmering, red-gold scales, it had a habit of raiding towns and taking its captives back to its lair.

 

            Ellina shuddered reflexively as she thought about the beast, and the stories she had heard about the state of some of its victims, and she pushed the thought from her mind, glancing around the interior of the ship and trying to stretch out again.

 

            She shifted her arms behind her and stretched downward, feeling her joints flex as she did so.  She paused and contemplated her position.  If she could just get her arms to stretch a little more, she might be able to slip them in front of her…

 

            She concentrated on the thought...

 

            _There!_  She triumphantly wriggled her arms and slipped her hands from behind her ankles, rolling her sore shoulders back and forth several times.  This certainly changed things now.  It was amazing how much better she could function with her hands in front of her, and she wondered if she had a chance at making a getaway.  Where exactly she would go, she wasn’t sure, but she had to do _something_…

 

            As she was contemplating this particular thought, she heard footsteps approaching, and she flung herself back down into the corner, hoping to conceal the maneuverings with her bindings.

 

            Her Dark Jedi captor emerged from around the corner, sneering down at her as he walked by, and Ellina couldn’t resist sticking her tongue out at him when his back was to her.  His demeanor grated her senses, and she suppressed the shudder that passed through her at the dark aura that radiated off him.  She had a feeling that she wasn’t going to be able to talk her way out of this one, as he didn’t exactly seem to be the negotiating type.  She still didn’t know what he wanted from her, and she had no intention of staying around to find out.

 

            She watched as he walked over to the control panel and lowered the ramp, staring out into the darkening sky.  The thunder Ellina had heard earlier rumbled again, closer this time.  He turned back towards her again, a malevolent look shadowing his face, and Ellina drew back further into the corner.  If he wanted to come for her, she wasn’t going to make it any easier for him.

 

            She glared at him as he faced her and began stepping towards her.  “Let’s go,” he said roughly.  “We have work to do.”  He leaned down to grasp her arm and haul her to her feet, and Ellina used that moment to take him by surprise.

 

            She jerked her arms upwards at the same time he reached out for her and her clenched fists caught him on the underside of his chin, snapping his head up.  He stepped back, hands reflexively going to his face.

 

            As soon as he raised his arms, Ellina jumped up and rammed her head into his stomach, propelling him backwards where he slammed into one of the bulkheads, breath temporarily leaving his body.

 

            Ellina bolted towards the ramp, booted feet slipping slightly on the slick metal.  She scrambled down the ramp and increased her speed as she hit the bottom and heard the bellow of anger from inside the ship.  Apparently her captor had gotten his breath back.

 

            She kept running towards the largest pile of rocks in the area, cursing the lack of cover.  _Why couldn’t we have landed in a place with trees?  Big rocks are not going to help me very much!_

 

            She heard the clanging of heavy boots on metal behind her, and she risked a glance behind her, knowing as she did so she had just done something very stupid.  Sure enough, the moment she let her concentration waver, her foot landed on a small rock that slipped out from under her boot, sending her crashing to the ground.

 

            That mishap was the delay the Dark Jedi needed to gain the ground he had lost when she had gotten the jump on him, and Ellina could hear him catching up as she scrambled to her feet again, wincing at the bruises she had acquired when she hit the ground. 

 

            Ellina kept running, trying to dodge the small rocks that littered the ground, and the scrubby bushes that kept trying to catch her feet and trip her up again.  But she knew she was rapidly losing ground, and unless she did something quickly, this entire escape attempt would be useless.

 

            Her options were limited.  The large rocks that surrounded her wouldn’t provide much by way of cover for long, and besides, the Dark Jedi was too close behind her for hiding to work – he would see when she stopped.  She knew she wasn’t going to be able to fight him, as her knowledge of combat was woefully inadequate for a situation such as this.  She knew enough to protect herself, or just enough to be dangerous – to herself, as her family was fond of saying.

 

            But she had taken him by surprise before.  She might be able to use that to her advantage again.  But she would have to think quickly in order for this to work.  And having her hands still tied together would make it that much harder.  She slowed her pace slightly, listening for the Dark Jedi’s footsteps to come close.  She could hear his ragged breathing, and she allowed herself a moment of satisfaction.  Apparently she had rammed him harder than she thought.

 

            She could sense him closing in on her.  _Come on, just a little closer…_

 

            Ellina could see him out of the corner of her eye, nearly close enough to grab her.  She saw his hands start to reach out, ready to grab her, and she abruptly slammed to a stop and ducked.

 

            Her pursuer didn’t have a chance to react to her quick move before he was on top of her, tripping over her crouched form.  He went tumbling over her, landing on his back in the dirt in front of her.  He recovered much faster this time, rolling to his knees and jumping to his feet

 

            Ellina jumped back as he came at her and ducked under the fist he swung at her face.  So that hadn’t gone quite as planned – she had hoped that he would have been incapacitated for a bit longer, and give her a chance to get a head start on him again.

 

            _Blast it, think fast!_ she admonished herself as she reflexively sidestepped his lunge at her.  She knew she had to keep him from drawing his lightsaber – she had seen what he was capable of with that, and she knew she was no match for that kind of fight.

 

            He came at her again and she dropped to the ground and rolled to the side.  She swung her leg up and around, hitting him in the back of the knees and knocking him off balance.  Ellina jumped to her feet, spun around and lashed out, catching her opponent in the side of the face with her foot and spanning his head back.

 

            As he fell back, he reached out and snatched her ankle, twisting her down to the ground with him.  She kicked out with her other leg, catching him in the wrist and causing him to release her ankle, and she scrambled to her feet, trying to catch her breath.

 

            By this time, her opponent had made it to his knees again, and based on the look in his eyes, Ellina could tell he was mad.  Really mad.  So, she did the only logical thing she could think of.  She ran.

 

            She could hear the exclamation of surprise behind her, but this time, she didn’t glance behind her.  Taking him by surprise when she bolted had given her the few precious seconds that she needed, though, and she couldn’t hear his footsteps as close behind her as before.

 

            She increased her speed slightly and ducked behind a large rock that shielded her perfectly from view.  Her hiding place was on a slight rise, and if she angled herself right, she could see anyone that was coming up the rough path she had created in her headlong flight.

 

            She glanced around and smiled as her gaze settled on a small rock laying near her feet.  It wasn’t large, but that wasn’t too much of a worry.  If it had been too heavy, she wouldn’t have been able to thrown it.  She shifted the stone between her hands, stiffening as she heard footsteps approaching.

 

            Ellina peered cautiously around the large stone she was behind – sure enough, the Dark Jedi was following her trail.  She closed her eyes and focused herself for a moment, concentrating on her objective.  She could hear his footsteps coming closer…and closer…

 

            _Now!_  Something instinctively told Ellina when to stand  and hurl her projectile, and she watched in amazement as it flew through the air and struck the Dark Jedi square on the forehead.  He stiffened up, then collapsed backwards.  Ellina’s rock had knocked him unconscious.

 

            She stepped from behind the rock, breathing a sigh of relief.  That should keep him out of the way for a while, hopefully long enough for her to get back to the ship and figure out how to operate it.

 

            She started back down the gradually sloping hill, trying to follow the trail she – and her pursuer – had left, but it was difficult in some areas.  By the time she reached the bottom of the hill, she had a new appreciation for the power of adrenaline.  She had no idea she had run that far, and it still looked like she had a ways to go. as there was no sign of the ship nearby.

 

            A little voice in her head told her she had gotten herself lost – again – but she pushed it aside.  _Besides, I wasn’t really lost that one time, _she argued with herself, _everyone else just moved camp without telling me._  But her surroundings did nothing to inspire her confidence – all around her, she could see nothing but rolling hills of large boulders, with no particularly distinctive landscape or features.

 

            She kept walking.  _This is how you got lost last time, remember?  You never just sit down and think things through.  _Ellina frowned, knowing there was some logic at work, but before she could stop and think through the idea, she felt the ground beneath her foot collapse in, and the next thing she knew, she was falling forward into a dark opening in the ground.


	13. Chapter 13

A soft, persistent tickling under her nose roused Callista from her sleep, and she cracked her eyes open just enough to see a mass of colored, fluffy fur sitting on her pillow.  _Choarth,_ she groaned, and made a half-hearted attempt to swat at the Chey’In, who merely flattened his body away from her hand.

 

            _You should get up,_ Choarth suggested.

 

            Callista shook her head and snuggled a little deeper under the blankets.  She was warm and comfortable where she was, and didn’t see the need to wake up quite yet.  She had slept soundly for the first time in…years, probably.  Some of that was probably exhaustion and injury-induced, but part of it…

 

            Subconsciously, she knew this was the one place in the galaxy where she felt instinctively safe and at home, yet she stubbornly refused to allow herself to acknowledge that fact. 

 

            _You really are being ridiculous,_ Choarth voiced his opinion.

 

            Callista glared at him.  _You need to stay out of my head.  This isn’t your problem._

 

            Somehow, the Guardian managed to paint an innocent expression on his face.  _I was simply referring to the fact that it is a beautiful morning, and you are going to miss it if you persist in sleeping.  What did you believe I spoke of?_

 

            Callista growled and half-lunged at him, but he fluttered his wings and darted out of her way.

 

            _Now, are you going to get out of bed, or do I need to have the Master Jedi come in here and wake you up?  _Choarth headed towards the door, dark eyes glinting with mischief.

 

            Callista’s cheeks flushed red at the suggestion, and she scrambled to untangle herself from the sheets.  “No, I’m up,” she said hurriedly, sighing in relief as Choarth paused in midair.

 

            _You would not want him to wake you up?_

_            That’s the problem…I do,_ Callista thought to herself and walked over to the window.  Choarth was right – it was a beautiful morning, and she closed her eyes at the slightly cool morning breeze that came through the window and teased at her loose curls.

 

            “Are you finished admiring the scenery yet?”Choarth had switched back to verbal communication, and his tone was clearly irritated.

 

            Callista turned around and gave him a withering look.  “Afraid you’re going to miss breakfast?”

 

            Choarth fluffed out his fur.  “There is much work ahead of us, and you’re wasting time gawking at trees.”

 

            Callista just shook her head as she walked over and snatched him out of mid-air.  “I think you’ve been away from people a little too long,” she said.  “You’re very cranky.”  With that, she opened her door and tossed the creature out into the hallway, watching as she caught himself and, with a few determined flaps of his wings, headed in the direction of the kitchen.

 

            _Good,_ she thought to herself.  _He can go pester Luke for a while._  Luke.  She heaved a sign and sat down on the edge of the bed, burying her head in her hands.  Suddenly, coming here didn’t seem to be such a good idea after all.  Last night, she had been too worn out to think about it too much, but now she was starting to realize how incredibly awkward things were between them.

 

            Maybe awkward wasn’t the right term.  But there was tension there, too many things left unresolved, unspoken.  And now was not the time to bring it up.  There was too much at stake, according to Choarth, to let her mind go off in that direction again.  Besides, nothing had changed…

 

            A light tap on the door jarred her out of her reverie, and she whispered a soft, “Come in.”

 

            The door opened, and Luke poked his head in.  “Good morning, sleepyhead,” he smiled at her.  “Sleep well?”

 

            She nodded silently.  “So did Choarth send you to come fetch me?” she asked wryly.

 

            Luke stepped inside the room and leaned against the doorway.  “No, I left him out in the kitchen, happily attacking some of the fruit I had out.  Remind me not to leave anything out that I don’t want eaten,” he smiled.

 

            Callista grinned back at him.  “I would have thought having the Solo kids visit would have taught you that.”

 

            “No, they just taught me not to have any food around, out or put away,” Luke shook his head.  “Force-enhanced food fight,” he explained at the questioning look Callista gave him, and she had to struggle to contain her laughter.

 

            “I’m sorry I missed that,” she said softly, then glanced down at the ground, realizing the potential for the double meaning in her words.  Luke could see her cheeks flush slightly, and for a moment, both of them avoided looking at the other.

 

            Finally, Luke cleared his throat.  “Why don’t I let you finish getting ready,” he said as he back out of the doorway, closing the door behind him.

 

            Callista stayed still for a moment, mentally berating herself for saying something that even hinted at that subject.  _Here I was trying to avoid discussing…everything…_she chastised herself as she went about changing into a comfortable linen shirt and light pants suitable for the humid atmosphere of Yavin 4.

 

            As she stepped into the hallway, she was slightly disconcerted by the fact that she couldn’t hear anything coming from the kitchen.  Maybe Luke and Choarth were having a silent conversation, but she knew from experience that the silent conversations tended to be the more revealing ones, and she didn’t like the idea of those two being alone for too long.  Force only knew how much Choarth would decide to give away!

 

            Sure enough, the Jedi Master and the Guardian were eye to eye as she entered the kitchen, appearing to be deep into an internal conversation.  Choarth looked up as she stepped into the room, Luke following suit moments later.

 

  

  1. “I’ve never heard anything about it.”
  



 

            “Nor had I,” Callista said as she sat down at the table across from him, Choarth climbing up her arm to his usual place on her shoulder.  “But,” she turned her attention to Choarth, “I don’t know what you expect us to be able to do.  Centuries of Jedi couldn’t find the missing crystal fragment.  How are we supposed to?”

 

            “Many of them did not know where to look,” he said cryptically.  “There are places the Guardians and other Chey’In know about that not even the Jedi were aware of.  You may find your answers in such a location.”

 

            “Humor me,” Callista put her hand up and ruffled Choarth’s fur behind his neck.  “Do you know of any such locations?”

 

            “Aside from the one you found me at?” he replied, his fur darkening to a pinkish color Callista associated with the Chey’In’s sense of humor, and he ducked out from under Callista’s hand, a smart move on his part, as Callista was fighting the urge to grab the creature by the scruff of his neck and shake him until he gave her non-cryptic answers.  “I would suggest examining your surroundings a little closer.”

 

            Now it was Luke’s turn to look confused.  “I’ve never come across any pieces of crystal in the temples,” he shook his head.

 

            Choarth bristled his fur again and clicked his teeth.  “Aren’t you the certain one,” he said, bringing to Luke’s mind a similar chiding…_So certain are you…_Yoda’s words echoed in his mind, as clear as they had been so many years ago.

 

            Callista sighed, feeling more than slightly annoyed with the creature perched on her shoulder.  “Choarth, I thought you were going to help us.  How is sitting here, lecturing us and showering us with cryptic statements going to help?  You said this was important, and yet we’re losing time sitting here.  Do you know where to find the final crystal?”

 

            “I do not,” Choarth said, settling into a serious demeanor once again.  “But I believe there may be clues here that will direct you.  The smaller temple just south – how thoroughly has it been explored?”

 

            Luke contemplated the question for a moment.  “Fairly well,” he said after a time.  “But most of the students prefer searching some of the other, larger temples, especially the ones deeper in the forest.”

 

            “Good,” Choarth’s fur settled down.  “That is where we must go.”  He jumped off Callista’s shoulder and took wing, soaring once around the room before hovering in front of the door.

 

            “Now?” Callista asked.

 

            “Were you not the one who just stated how time was being lost by sitting around?” Choarth turned her words on her, and let his different colors ripple through his coat as a form of laughter.

 

            Callista looked at Luke, who just shrugged.  “Alright, let’s go,” she said, standing up and brushing her fingers against the cool metal of her lightsaber.  There was still an uneasy tension between her and Luke that she could feel as they walked to the door, but now was not the time to discuss it.

 

***

 

            The southern temple was dim and cool, a welcome relief from the humidity outside.  It was quiet, too.  Apparently, Luke had been right when he said the students preferred the other temples.  There was something about the quiet that was disturbing, though.  Callista couldn’t put her finger on it, but the whole place gave her a slightly uneasy feeling.

 

            She spun around in a circle as she walked through the main chamber of the temple, trying to get a sense of her surroundings.  What she had originally perceived as a relief from the weather outside was changing, though – now the interior seemed damp, almost chilling, with shadows that were growing deeper.  She glanced over at Luke and could see the same feeling mirrored in his face.

 

            “How often did you say you’ve been in here?” Callista whispered, automatically reaching down and gripping her lightsaber, pulling it loose from her belt but leaving it shut down – for now.

 

            Luke copied her actions before answering.  “Several times, but I’ve never felt it like this before.  Choarth…” he said warningly, leaving the question unspoken.

 

            _I do not seek to harm you,_ he assured.  _But know this – these temples have known the presence of evil beings, and they absorb and reflect what they know.  But we should not linger here._

 

            He flew on ahead, leaving Luke and Callista little choice but to follow behind him, breaking into a jog to keep up with the rapidly retreating little form.  He lead them deeper into the temple to the end of the main chamber where he turned down a small hallway but into the stone.  This deep into the temple, little natural light came through, and Luke could see no discernable way of activating any light source.  With a sigh, he thumbed in lightsaber on, the glowing green blade casting a faint light into the hallway, and a moment later, Callista followed suit, her sun-yellow blade adding further illumination to the dark corridor.

 

            Just past the light, Choarth was hovering in mid-air, the quick flapping of his wings betraying his impatience.  _I forgot, you cannot see in the dark that well,_ he said, then without waiting for a response, took off down the hall again.

 

            Luke bit back a retort about his night vision being just fine, and with a resigned sigh, began following the Chey’In again.  The hallway was dark and rather unchanging – walls of smooth stone and low ceilings that appeared to have been cut out of the rock, after the temple had been constructed.  He could detect a very faint downward slop to the floor, and every hundred yards, the hall would take an abrupt ninety degree turn then continue onward, leading Luke to suspect the hall was actually a very long ramp leading underground.

 

            How long they kept following the hall, Luke wasn’t exactly sure, but he used the time – and the low light – to glance over at Callista occasionally.  She had been silent nearly the entire time, deep in thought from her expression, although Luke could see the troubled gaze in her eyes.  He knew why she had come back – based on what Choarth had told him that morning, they were facing a situation wrought with danger and severe consequences if they failed.  He couldn’t blame her for wanting help. 

 

            But on the same token, the fact that she came back only because she needed help grated at the back of his mind, and he wondered how all this would end.  He knew coming back had to be hard on her, and part of him wished he had never seen her again.  Because deep down, he knew that when all this was over – if they survived it – chances were she was just going to walk right out the door again.  And he didn’t know how he would handle that.

 

            The hallway corridor took one last sharp turn and spilled out into an underground chamber.  It was pitch black beyond the faint glow of the lightsabers, but Luke could hear water running in the distance.

 

            “Well,” Callista whispered, and Luke saw her turn towards Choarth. “what are we looking for?”

 

            “Wait,” Choarth said as he flew off again.  Luke’s eyes were gradually adjusting to the darkness, and he was able to begin to make out faint shapes, including a small column, less than a meter high, that Choarth had just landed on.

 

            As the Chey’In landed, a faint glow began to emanate from the column and brighten the interior of the chamber.  “Now,” he said, “this is what you’re looking for.”  He flew off the column and towards a raised platform, around which a swiftly flowing stream ran.  Choarth looked back at Luke and Callista, indicating they were to follow him, and they stepped towards the platform, pausing to glance at the stream around it.  It was narrow, but the stream looking deep and swift moving.

 

            Luke took a quick breath and jumped across, landing next to the platform on the other side.  Callista followed behind him, but her feet slipped slightly on the smooth stone, and Luke put a hand out to steady her.  She smiled a quick thanks at him, then turned her attention back to the platform that Choarth was still hovering over.

 

            Sitting on the platform was an innocuous-looking cube, with smooth crystal sides that reflected back the weak light that was glowing in the chamber.  Callista glanced at Choarth sharply.  “Is that what I think it is?” she asked, bringing her hand up close to it, but keeping her fingers hovering just above it.

 

            “That’s…that’s a Holocron,” Luke breathed, stepping closer.  “I never knew it was down here.”

 

            “And for good reason,” Choarth said.  “This must be used with caution, for it is _not _a Jedi Holocron, but rather, an artifact of the Sith.  Only a strong-willed Jedi can attempt to unlock its secrets without being swept away by them.”

 

            “This is where we’ll find the location of the missing crystal piece?” Callista still stared at the cube, her brow furrowed, and she drew her hand back to cross her arms across her chest.

 

            “I cannot give you a definitive answer to that,” Choarth sad, a note of sadness in his tone.  “But I believe it will at least help guide us.”

 

            “It’s more than we had before,” Luke said softly, and carefully reached out for the cube.

 

            “Wait,” Callista said, and pulled a length of cloth out of her pocket, laying it over the cube.

 

            “Good thinking,” Luke nodded as he wrapped the cloth around the rest of the cube and gingerly picked it up, breathing a sigh of relief after several moments had passed and nothing happened.  “Wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said wryly, and Callista’s lips twitched upwards in a faint quirk of a smile.

 

            “The Sith do like their traps, don’t they,” she murmured, and turned back to the stream, which she noticed was starting to rise.  “I think you spoke too soon, though,” she touched Luke’s arm, then pointed at the stream.

 

            “I think that’s our cue to leave now,” Luke said, just as the stream overflowed the edges of the stone floor and started flowing towards them.  He took several shuffling steps forward – with the stream overflowing its artificial banks, it was impossible to tell where the floor ended and dropped off into the depths of the stream.  Just to be on the safe side, he summoned an extra boost of Force energy as he jumped over the stream.  He landed roughly on the other side, stumbling as the swirling water tugged at his boots, and he fell to one knee before he was able to steady himself fully and stand with both feet planted against the swift-moving water. 

 

            He turned just in time to see Callista copy his actions, but she had jumped several feet further back than he had, and as she landed, he could see one of her feet miss the solid stone and slip into the stream bed, sending her falling backwards.

 

            He darted forward and grabbed her outstretched hand, pulling her forward but sending them both off balance so that they splashed into the water that, by now, covered the floor a good half a meter deep.  They both scrambled to their feet, Luke still clutching the Holocron.

 

            “Thanks,” Callista sighed as she pushed her wet curls away from her face.  “I misjudged that one.”

 

            Luke just shrugged, then looked down at the water swirling around their feet, and over to the entrance to the corridor.  Already the water had starting flowing into the hall.  “Time to go, before the hall gets flooded out.”

 

            Callista nodded her assent, and they made their way to the corridor, Choarth fluttering above their heads.  “Let’s go see what we went to the trouble to get,” she said as they began jogging up the corridor, the sound of the water fading as they climbed back towards the main temple chamber and out into the sunlight again.


	14. Chapter 14

Back at Luke’s apartment, Callista braided her still damp curls out of the way and changed into dry clothing, wrinkling her nose at the cold, clammy feel of the ones that had gotten soaked in the underground chamber.  Based on the events of the past several days, she was really starting to develop a dislike for underground caverns and such places.

 

            Luke had already changed by the time she walked back out to the sitting room, and was staring intently at the cube sitting on the table in front of him.  Choarth was nowhere to be found, but appeared several moments later from the kitchen, a bit of fruit clutched in his front paws.

 

            “You’re eating again?” Callista rolled her eyes in disbelief.  In some ways, Guardian or not, the Chey’In had very animal-like behavior.

 

            _It’s something you should try more often,_ Choarth snipped at her as he flew over to perch on her shoulder again.

 

            She ignored this comment and turned her attention towards the cube.  It looked innocent enough, sitting on the table, light gleaming wetly off its sides, but she had learned long ago to not trust something of its nature, no matter how innocent it appeared.

 

            Luke glanced up and caught her eye.  “What do you think?” he asked, passing his hand over the top of it, and Callista wordlessly shook her head and knelt down next to the table, studying the cube as close as she could without actually having to touch it.

 

            After several moments of examining it, she stood up and moved to the chair next to the table.  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” she finally said.  “I’ve only ever seen one Holocron before – a Jedi one – and that had symbols and carvings on it.  The symbols acted as a combination lock of sorts, and a Force users could sense the proper sequence to use to activate it.  This…there’s no discernable markings on it.”

 

            “That’s what has me worried,” Luke admitted.  “There’s no way of knowing what will happen if we do figure out how to open it, either.”

 

            _Since when is the Master Jedi afraid to take a risk?_ Choarth taunted from his perch, and was met with withering glares from both Luke and Callista.

 

            “Is he always like that?” Luke asked, slightly exasperated at the fun the Chey’In seemed to be having at his expense.

 

            “Unfortunately,” Callista said.  “His sense of humor seems to have developed on a slightly different plane than ours,” she shot an annoyed look at Choarth before wiggling her shoulder back and forth several times until he got the message and jumped over to the table.

 

            “Ah, I forget how little you young ones know sometimes,” Choarth said, sitting back on his haunches with a self-satisfied, smug look when he saw the slightly confused looks on Luke and Callista’s face.  “_Think_ about the maker of the cube compared to others.  The Sith,” he bristled his fur, irritated that his audience was failing to catch on.  “The Sith do not care who finds their teachings, or if it falls into the wrong hands.  They prefer it.  That is how they spread their falsehoods and philosophies.”

 

            “So, you’re saying this cube shouldn’t need any special activation,” Luke said, comprehension slowly dawning.

 

            “Not all hope is lost for you, Master Jedi,” Choarth sarcastically responded.  “Finally you catch on.  To _some_ things.”  _Although you both need a lesson in catching on in other areas,_ he silently finished.

 

            Luke and Callista shared an uneasy glance for a moment, then Luke cautiously reached out and touched one of the corners of the cube, then quickly withdrew his hand.  Nothing happened for a short time, then the crystal sides of the cube began to dim, drawing light in rather than reflecting it.

 

            Both Jedi had jumped up from their seats by the time the whole room started to dim, and were alternating between casting worried looks at each other and at the cube.  Even Choarth’s colorful fur had grown dim, and he had jumped back on Callista’s shoulder, front paws nervously gripping the end of her braid.

 

            In a short while, the entire room had gone dark, with only a faint hint of natural light spilling in from the connecting room.  “Was that supposed to happen?” asked Callista in a low voice, nervously running her hand down Choarth’s back, feeling the little creature tremble slightly under her touch.

 

            _We are now treading in waters that not even I understand,_ he thought back at her, transferring his grip from her braid to her shirt.

 

            _That’s reassuring,_ she sighed, then threw her hand up to shield her face as the crystal suddenly flashed a bright, blinding white, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luke do the same.

 

            Several moments passed before the bright light eased away, and Callista had to blink rapidly to restore her vision that had been shocked by the sudden onslaught of bright light.  When the spots in front of her eyes finally cleared, and she could start to see clearly again, she focused on the cube, and took a reflexive step back, gasping in horror.

 

            Like a Jedi Holocron, this one reflected the image of its creator, but Callista had never seen anything like this one before.  The ravages of the Dark Side had clearly set in, but even before that occurred, Callista could see that the being that made this Holocron had been a nightmare to behold.  Even with the being reflected in a miniature state, she had a hard time suppressing her revulsion, and she could see Luke was having the same reaction.

 

            Malevolent, deep-set yellow eyes gleamed in a green-skinned face that was lined with deep cracks where the skin’s surface had split, deep enough in some areas for blood to slowly seep to the top and pool in the cracks.  Black and white striped hair hung in tangled ropes, brushing over narrow, hunched shoulders and down spindly arms.

 

            But Callista couldn’t take her eyes off the face, which was growing more disturbing the more she looked at it.  Think, deep purple lips were cracked along the edges, with the cracks growing deeper every time the being pressed its lips together, most likely an expression of displeasure.  There was little there that could pass for a nose, either, just a hollow cavity, thinly covered with a layer of skin and two small slits underneath – nostrils?

 

            Callista couldn’t suppress a shudder when the being opened its mouth, exhaling in a thin, hissing breath.  “What has brought forth Cimas Jocyce?” he – Callista realized it was a he – rasped, an irritated expression moving across his face, further opening up deeper cracks with his movement.

 

            Luke stepped closer to the cube, fighting back his own feeling of misgiving, and leaned in slightly.  “I seek information,” he countered, wanting to reveal as little as he possibly could.

 

            “Information comes with a price,” Jocyce growled back, glowering at the figures in front of him.  “If I give you what you want, I need something in return.”

 

            Callista glanced over at Luke.  “It’s not actually alive, and yet it wants to bargain?”

 

            “Sounds like a Sith to me,” Luke said wryly.

 

            Callista nodded her agreement.  “I don’t know if he’s a Sith, though,” she said softly after a brief pause.  “He introduced himself with a standard name, rather than a ‘Darth’ pseudonym.”

 

            “Well, he’s no Light Side Jedi, that’s for sure,” Luke countered.

 

            “I don’t disagree with that.  So how are we going to play deal-broker with him?”  Callista cast a wary glance at the cube and still-glowering figure.

 

            “I’ll come up with something,” Luke shrugged.  “Promise him my first-born?” he quipped.  “Or not,” he said sheepishly when Callista glanced at him darkly. 

 

            “How about we promise to just return him to the flooded-out chamber, rather than use that cube for lightsaber practice,” Callista muttered as she watched Luke turn his attention back to the cube.

 

            “I need to know what you can tell me about the Abraxas Crystal,” Luke said.

 

            Jocyce pursed his lips, sending tiny rivulets of blood running down his chin.  “I’m sure you do,” he mocked, folding his arms across his chest.  “Many seek that information, but few know what to make of it, and even fewer yet know what to do with it.”

 

            Callista stepped closer, pushing away some of her initial revulsion over the sight of the figure.  “It’s hard to know what to do with it if you don’t know what that information even is,” she said, her voice low, almost silky smooth, a tone Luke had learned to recognize as something dangerous from her, and it usually meant she was close to the edge of her tolerance level.

 

            “The Crystal is something that has never been understood by anybody, and you would be fool to try,” Jocyce snapped, then softened his features.  Oddly enough, the effect was more terrifying when he attempted to look less hostile.  “But what’s another fool’s errand to this galaxy?”

 

            He steepled his fingers and fixed the Jedi in front of him with a knowing stare.  “You already know what the Crystal is, or you wouldn’t be asking me about it.  What you want to know is where it is.  Very well.  If it rids the galaxy of another couple Jedi, who am I to impede progress?  The Abraxas Crystal lays in many pieces across the galaxy.  I assume you already knew this as well.  But you seek the final piece, do you not?  The final piece, hidden by its creator, never to be found for centuries.  But the crystal does not stray far from its origins,” he finished cryptically, staring at the Jedi for a long moment before fading from view.

 

            The room gradually lit up as he faded away until once again, the cube sat in the middle of the table, looking completely unchanged, light reflecting off its sides.

 

            “That was…interesting,” Callista raised her eyebrows.  “And I have to admit, I’m surprised he went away without a fight, either.”

 

            “I think the idea that he is sending two Jedi off to what he hopes will be their doom was enough of a reward for him,” Luke said wryly.

 

            “I’d prefer to prove him wrong on that part,” Callista said.  “What did he mean by that last part, though? ‘The crystal does not stray far from its origins’?”

 

            “It means,” Choarth broke it, “that you have some old-fashioned research ahead of you.  A bit of luck probably wouldn’t go amiss, either.  You must find where the crystal was made.  There, the final piece will reside.  It is also the place where the demons it controls is summoned.”

 

            “And do you know where that is?  Save us a little bit of work?”  Callista ruffled the Guardian’s fur, much to his annoyance.

 

            After shaking himself off and smoothing his fur again, he stretched his wings and jumped off Callista’s shoulder, circling around the room.  “I have possibilities,” was all he said before flying out of the room, presumably to the kitchen.

 

            “Not to mention we have to find all the other crystal pieces, too,” Callista tugged at the end of her braid.  “If Malinse – or someone else – hasn’t gotten to them first,” she sighed.

 

            “Then we should probably start looking,” Luke said firmly, walking towards the doorway.

 

            “What about _him_?”  Callista motioned to the cube still sitting on the table.

 

            “I liked your idea of tossing him underwater,” Luke grinned.  “But for now, I have a feeling he might still come in handy.”  He crossed the room again and rewrapped the cube in the length of fabric.  “I still haven’t decided if he’s something that should stay around long-term or not.”

 

            “Maybe if you want your students to have nightmares,” she quipped, following him out the door.  “I’ve never seen anything like him, and I’d be just as happy to not have to again.”


	15. Chapter 15

A cold, slimy sensation against her arm finally roused Ellina from her unconsciousness, but when she opened her eyes, she could tell no difference from when she had had them closed.  She was surrounded by total blackness, so dark that she couldn’t even see the hand she lifted in front of her face.

 

            Something brushed against her arm again, leaving a trail of sticky slime in its wake, and she sat up with a cry of panic.  She put her hands on the ground and jerked them upwards at the feeling underneath her fingers.

 

            She could feel things moving on the ground, squirming against her and bumping against her legs.  She jumped to her feet, but with the darkness surrounding her, she was unable to see the low ceiling hanging over her head, and with a loud _crack_ and some choice language, she was sent sprawling into the ground again.

 

            The same slimy sensation assaulted her senses again, and she scrambled to her hands and knees, yelping in panic when something slithered over her fingers.  She scrambled backwards, feeling things moving beneath her hands.  She kept going until her back slammed against a hard wall and her fingers scrambled against cool, grooved stone.

 

            _Be calm,_ a quiet voice echoed in Ellina’s head.  _You are not in danger._

 

            “Who’s there?” Ellina whispered, trying vainly to peer through the darkness, and startling again when she felt a pressure against her shoulder.  She yelped and grasped at whatever was sitting in her shoulder.  Her hand met soft fur, and she felt a reassuring touch on her mind again.

 

            _Do not worry about the Dyrbin worms.  They will not harm you, child._

 

            “Dyrbin worms?” Ellina’s voice rose to a high pitch.  “_Worms__?_”  She tried scrambling away again, but the solid wall was still behind her, and all she managed to do was slide back down onto the ground, the cold slimy sensation of the worms crawling over her feet a reminder of what she was trying to escape.

 

            _Please, please, do not panic.  As I said, they are harmless._

 

            “But, but…” Ellina whimpered.  She glanced around again, and she realized that it had gradually been getting lighter, and she was able to make out a white blur tinged with black streaks.  She glanced down…and immediately wished she hadn’t. 

 

            The ground was a wriggling mass of dark brown, slimy shapes, each several centimeters long and blindly crawling around bumping into anything in their path.  Ellina yelped and reflexively jumped up again, smacking her head on the low ceiling again.

 

            “Ouch,” she groaned, putting a hand up to rub her head and flinching as her hand came away with traces of sticky blood on her fingers.

 

            _Come with me,_ the quiet voice urged.  _Nothing will be achieved by staying here._

 

            “Who are you?” Ellina whispered.

 

            _You may call me Cimas._

 

            “Are you another guardian?” 

 

            _Yes.  You have met my kind before._  It wasn’t a question. 

 

            Ellina studied the creature sitting on her shoulder as she nodded.  This one wasn’t multi-colored, but rather white with black-tipped fur, and its voice was decidedly more feminine.  “I met him briefly,” Ellina explained.

 

            _Choarth._

 

            “I never knew his name,” Ellina said.  “I don’t even know what happened to him.”

 

            Cimas was silent for a time, her eyes half-lidded.  “He is alright,” she said.

 

            “You can talk to him?” Ellina raised her eyebrows and watched the Guardian curiously.

 

            Cimas nodded and regarded Ellina with a soft gaze.  “We are a species called the Chey’In, and have the ability to communicate telepathically with the others.”

 

            “Even across space?” Ellina asked.

 

            “Even.  He says to tell you that he is with your friend, and she is alright.  He also told me to take you to the crystal.”

 

            Ellina cautiously stood up, hunching over to keep from hitting the ceiling again.  “The crystal?” she asked, confused.  “I don’t understand what he’s talking about.”

 

            “And there is no time to explain,” Cimas said, flying in front of Ellina and holding her paws out to the girl.  “You must follow me, quickly.”

 

            Ellina shrugged and stepped after Cimas, making a disgusted face as she felt the small worms squishing underneath her boots, and she quickened her pace.  As they proceeded down what Ellina supposed was a tunnel, she noticed that Cimas was gradually taking on a faint glow that was increasing the further they went.

 

            She was grateful for that fact, too, as it made seeing where she was going infinitely easier.  The worms had disappeared as well, something she was even more grateful for.  She could still feel the dried slime trails on her hands and her clothing, and she repressed a shudder at the thought of the worms crawling on her again.

 

            The tunnel had started slanting off in a downward grade, something that Ellina found maed it more difficult for her to keep her balance, particularly with the ground being covered in loose pebbles.  Just as she was contemplating the nature of the tunnel, her foot came down on a patch of loose pebbles, and she fell to the ground, hard, skidding down the increasingly steep slope. 

 

            Ellina tried frantically to grab hold of anything that would slow her descent, but the rock walls in this section of the tunnel were too jagged for her to maintain a grip on, and she kept sliding further down until her momentum was stopped when she abruptly slammed into a partially open wooden door.

 

            Ellina lay on the ground, aching, but still conscious.  She tasted blood in her mouth, and could feel blood seeping through several rips in her clothing.  She lay still, willing her head to stop spinning and for the bright flashes of color in front of her eyes to fade.

 

            Cimas flew down in front of her, a blur of white and black fur, and flitted back and forth over Ellina, searching for the extent of her injuries, before lowering herself down next to Ellina’s head.

 

            Ellina groaned and tried to sit up, but was stopped by the light touch of a small paw against her cheek.

 

            _Wait._  Cimas said nothing more, but closed her eyes, and after several moment, Ellina could feel some of her pain lessening.  _That should hold you,_ Cimas launched herself into the air again, hovering in front of the door that, despite Ellina slamming into it, was still partially open.

 

            “How did you do that?”  Ellina managed to sit up this time, wincing as remnants of pain shot through her limbs.  She stretched out her limbs, one by one, before cautiously standing up, leaning against the wall for support.

 

            _The Chey’In are gifted with some healing abilities,_ Cimas explained.  _We cannot fully heal injuries, but we can…help._  With that, she turned and flew through the doorway, leaving Ellina to ponder the cryptic explanation.

 

            With one last look up the dark tunnel, Ellina turned and followed Cimas through the door, stepping into a room of blackness.

 

            “Cimas?”  Ellina spun in place, unable to see anything.  “Where are you?  I can’t see where you are.”

 

            “Here,” Simas lightly brushed against Ellina’s arm and down to the girl’s hand.  “Grasp my tail – lightly – and I will lead you.  You must trust me,” she said when Ellina hesitated.

 

            “Okay,” Ellina whispered and carefully wove the long, silky strands of fur through her fingers, taking cautious steps forward as Cimas flew through the darkness.  She could hear the Chey’In softly humming, something Ellina gathered was for her benefit, and as a way for her to keep track of Cimas’ location.

 

            “Stop, Ellina,” Cimas said at the same time Ellina felt the texture of the ground beneath her feet change.  Instead of the coarse stone she had been walking on, it was now smooth beneath her feet.  “Reach out with your other hand,” Cimas continued. 

 

            Ellina obeyed, and she felt her hand make contact with a cool, smooth surface.  Light flashed, and she caught a glimpse of gleaming glass before the light forced her to shield her eyes.  When she finally adjusted to the change and was able to open her eyes again, she could see that she was in another large underground chamber. 

 

            The glass she had seen briefly had been crafted into an elaborate altar, gleaming from an inner light.  The glass continued down to the floor – that was the smooth surface Ellina had stepped onto, and she was momentarily uneasy about the idea of standing on pure glass – was there even anything underneath it for support?

 

            “Come, Ellina,” Cimas beckoned her, causing Ellina to wonder how the being knew her name before remembering what Cimas had said about the Chey’In being telepathic.  The idea that Cimas could have seen into her thoughts was disconcerting, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it, for the Chey’In was hovering in front of the altar, an impatient expression replacing her mild-mannered one.

 

            “Quickly, you must retrieve the crystal,” Cimas swept back and forth above the altar, clearly agitated,  “Retrieve it, and get out.”

 

            “How?” Ellina scanned the altar, but there didn’t seem to be any obvious location for the crystal to be hiding.

 

            Cimas glided down and landed on the edge of the altar table, nudging a sharp, slender piece of glass towards Ellina.  _A blood sacrifice is required if the crystal is to be obtained._

 

            “A blood sacrif-“ Ellina looked horrified, and glanced down at the dried blood from the  cuts and scrapes on her hands and arms.  “Couldn’t I just rub my fingers on it?”

 

_            No._  For the first time, Cimas looked angry, and Ellina edged closer to the altar, gingerly picking up the glass knife and turning it over in her hand.  She bit her lip and stepped up to the altar, holding her one arm out over the table.  She stared at the knife in her trembling hand and slowly brought it up against the inside of her arm.  She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hand down, gasping as the knife’s edge bit into her skin.

 

            Ellina let her grasp on the knife go limp, and it fell to the floor where it shattered into thousands of tiny glass fragments.  She gasped as she watched droplets of her blood slowly fall onto the glass surface of the altar.  For a moment, nothing happened, then to her horror, the bright red droplets slowly began to turn black before inexplicably seeping into the glass.

 

            She took a step backwards as one of the delicately crafted spirals on top of the altar began to shimmer and slowly liquefy from the top down, sending a cascade of molten glass flowing down onto the tabletop and the ground below.  In the center of the spiral was a piece of  clear crystal, almost indistinguishable from the glass surrounding it.  Ellina cast a glance at Cimas, who nodded once before flying up to land on Ellina’s shoulder. 

 

            Ellina reached forward and cautiously grasped the crystal, which glowed silver at her touch before slowly darkening to a muted blue.  Ellina breathed a sigh of relief and amazement that nothing bad had happened, and remembered Cimas’ warning to move quickly.

 

            She clenched the crystal tight in her hand and absently patted her sides, looking for a suitable pocket to stash the crystal, but the slide down the tunnel had ripped several large tears in the sides of her pants, and she was afraid the crystal might slip out.  She glanced around, then stuffed the crystal down the front of her shirt, shuddering at the feel of its cool surface against her skin.

 

            Ellina turned around and stepped off the altar, making her way to the door, pausing for a short moment to stare briefly at the altar again.  She frowned as she looked at it – it may only have been her imagination, but she could have sworn that she saw a black ripple pass across the face of the glass.  At the same time she decided it was probably a trick of the light, all the lights in the chamber went out.

 

            Ellina spun in place, trying to get her bearings in the suddenly dark environment, but she stopped suddenly when she heard heavy footsteps coming from the area where she thought the door had been.  She tried to still her breathing as she felt Cimas tense up on her shoulder.

 

            Everything was still for a moment, then a red beam of light pierced through the darkness, bright enough for Ellina to see the dreaded face of her Dark Jedi pursuer.  _Blast it, I thought I lost him,_ she silently cursed.  She stayed perfectly still, hoping he wouldn’t notice her, but knowing it was unlikely.  She thought she could make out the darker outline of the door just beyond the red glow of the lightsaber, and acting on impulse, she bolted for the area, hoping to get into the corridor.

 

            She had barely made is several yards before she felt her feet get swept out from under her and she fell to the ground, landing heavily on her side.  She felt Cimas leap from her shoulder as she fell, and she could dimly see the winged shape hovering at the edge of the light cast by the lightsaber.  She tried to scramble up, but the shooting pains along her side told her that wasn’t such a good idea.

 

            All she could do was watch helplessly as Cimas darted in and out of the light, taunting and teasing the Dark Jedi.  She wasn’t close enough to see what she was doing, but based on the erratic waving of the lightsaber blade, Ellina suspected that Cimas was doing her best to get at his eyes and face, and he was trying to wave her off.

 

            She watched as Cimas dived and darted, swooping around the Dark Jedi’s head and catching him across the side of his face with her wings.  Cimas dived around and landed on the top of his head, muscles tensed, waiting for the right moment to spring.

 

            The lightsaber blade whipped around and angled at her, and the little Chey’In ducked and jumped off to the side.  She miscalculated her leap, though, and the edge of the blade clipped her wing and sent her plummeting to the ground.  She landed in a heap, seared wing crumbling against the ground.

 

            “Another one of you pesky animals,” the Dark Jedi sneered down at her.  “It appears that there is a rodent problem around the crystal.”  He brought his blade down, but that was the moment Cimas had been waiting for.  She gathered all of her remaining strength and leapt at him, dragging her claws across his face.  He roared in pain and grabbed at Cimas, ripping her away from his face and flinging her against the nearest wall.

 

            “No!” Ellina cried as she heard the dull thud as Cimas’ body hit the wall and slid to the ground.  She tried to scramble up, but the Dark Jedi was standing over her, booted foot on her ribs, preventing her escape.

 

            _Ellina…_she heard Cimas’ weak whisper in her mind.  _Do not let him get the crystal.  I’m sorry I could not help you._  Her connection with Ellina faded, and Ellina couldn’t bite back the sob that rose from her throat as she felt the spirit of the Guardian pass on.


	16. Chapter 16

“The problem is, we don’t have enough information to even know where to begin searching,” Callista crossed her arms and gave a sigh of frustration as she scanned the multitudes of records and volumes contained within the Academy library.  She idly tugged at one of the curls that had come loose from her braid and continued to pace down one of the aisles, glancing at the shelves and hoping something would make itself obvious to her.

 

            She made it to the end of the aisle and stepped around the corner of the shelving, watching Luke as he pulled down a thick, dusty volume from one of the higher shelves.  He looked up at her after he glanced at several pages.  “Choarth’s comments weren’t very helpful, were they?”  He replaced the volume on the shelf and brushed the dust off his hands.

 

            Callista rolled her eyes.  “He hasn’t exactly gone out of his way to be helpful.  He’s being more cryptic than anything.”

 

            “I guess he wants us to figure it out for ourselves,” Luke turned away from the shelves to face her.

 

            “That sounds like something Djinn Altis used to say,” Callista smiled wryly, think about her old Master.  “ ‘We would appreciate a solution more if we were able to solve the problem on our own, rather than having all of the answers handed to us.’  But right now, I think this is one problem that I wouldn’t mind having the answer handed to me.  Or at least more of a hint.  I don’t even know where that furball is,” she sighed again.

 

            Luke shrugged.  “The last I saw of him, he was flying out of the kitchen window with something in his paws.”

 

            “Great,” Callista groaned.  “If he’s creating a hidden food stash,” her voice trailed off as she leaned back against the shelves behind her.  “This is crazy,” she finally said.  “We have just enough information to know that we’re likely heading off on a wild bantha chase across the galaxy looking for something that no one has been able to piece together for centuries.”  She slid to the ground, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs.

 

            “If only we had a way to narrow down where we need to be looking,” Luke said, glancing around at the aisles of shelves surrounding them.

 

            “That would help,” Callista said softly.  “But what we’re looking for might not even be here.  It’s such an obscure piece of information, what little that probably existed about it might not have survived,” she bit her lip and lowered her eyes.  “I don’t remember ever hearing about the crystal, not even stories or legends.”

 

            Neither of them spoke for several minutes, then Callista said softly, “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.  This isn’t your problem, you shouldn’t have to deal with it.”

 

            “This concerns all the Jedi, so it’s my problem now, too,” Luke pointed out, kneeling down in front of her.  “Now I have a feeling that there is more to the story than the Holocron is telling us.”

 

            “He didn’t seem too eager to share his knowledge the first time around.  What makes you think he’ll suddenly decide to enlighten us with everything he knows?”

 

            Luke shrugged.  “I don’t know if he will.  But we can try asking, at least.”

 

            “You can always threaten to disassemble his Holocron if he doesn’t want to cooperate,” Callista suggested.

 

            “That sounds an awful lot like blackmail,” Luke said, a touch reproachfully.

 

            “If it works,” she said, not entirely jesting.

 

            “Callista!” Luke exclaimed  “You don’t really mean that, do you?”

 

            “No, not really,” she said.  “But you have to admit, the idea isn’t without some appeal.”

 

            “Well, in this case,” Luke trailed off, silently conceding as he climbed to his feet that Callista did make a good, if unorthodox, point.  “Shall we go wake him up again?” he held out his hand and pulled Callista to her feet.

 

            “Sure, why not?” she replied.  “Although taking him apart piece by piece would probably be easier.”

 

***

 

            “You again,” Jocyce sneered at Luke and Callista, his holographic form crossing its arms and glaring in their direction.

 

            “Oh, he’s going to be helpful, I see,” Callista muttered.

 

            “Just wait,” Luke said to her, then switched his gaze to the still-glowering figure, not saying anything, just watching him.

 

            After several minutes of silence, Jocyce finally snapped.  “Alright, what do you want?” he growled.

 

            “Some more information about the Nocturne Crystal,” Callista spoke up, matching Jocyce’s look when he turned his glare on her.

 

            “I would think of all people, you would be the one to already know about it,” he taunted her.  “Aren’t you Jedi all about continuing legacies?”

 

            Callista looked puzzled by his words.  “What does that mean?” she asked, stepping closer to the Holocron and glowing figure.

 

            “You don’t know?  I guess the Jedi aren’t as forthcoming and truthful as they like to appear,” he continued taunting her, a twisted smile forming on his face as he watched her grow more disconcerted.

 

            “Enough,” Luke stepped forward and redirected the Holocron’s attention.  “You said the crystal is in pieces.  Where are they?”

 

            “Each crystal is interconnected with the others.  Find one, and it will be that much easier to find the next.”

 

            “Don’t listen to him,” Jocyce’s cryptic speech was interrupted by a multi-colored ball of fur hurling into the room and landing next to the Holocron.  Choarth looked as agitated as Callista had ever seen him, fur rippling in shades of red and yellow, tail puffed out and swishing back and forth.  “He’s not going to give you the entire story about the crystals.”

 

            “Does this mean you finally will?”  Callista asked him.

 

            “If the alternative is you getting your information from him,” Choarth nodded to the Holocron, “then yes, I will tell you what you need to know.  We no longer have the luxury of time to let you figure out every aspect of this yourselves.”

 

            “Ah, you would listen to this ball of fluff and his over-inflated sense of knowledge and importance?” Jocyce scoffed.

 

            Without another word, Callista reached out and touched the Holocron, deactivating it once again.  “Now will you tell us the entire story?” she turned to Choarth, whose colors were fading back to normal now that the Holocron figure was gone.

 

            “Yes.  As I said, we no longer have time to allow you to solve the puzzle of the crystals yourselves.  While we Guardians had made a pact not to interfere with the finding of the crystals, circumstances have changed.”

 

            He jumped from the table to the back of one of the chairs in the room and curled up, wrapping his tail around his body.

 

            “The Nocturne crystal was broken up into seven pieces and scattered throughout the galaxy, each protected by a Guardian.  The crystals being what they are, however, meant that they were constantly sought out, and over the years, the Guardians have perished, most of them taken in their duty to protect the crystals.”

 

            “So they crystals are now unprotected?” Luke asked, finding a chair for himself and sitting down, all the time watching Choarth.

 

            “No one is foolish enough to leave the pieces of the Nocturne Crystal with only one form of protection,” Choarth said smugly.

 

            Callista placed her hands on her hips.  “You’re doing it again,” she said.  “Being cryptic and evasive,” she continued at Choarth’s curious look.

 

            “And you are being impatient again,” he countered.  “Now sit down.  Standing over me won’t get the story told any faster,”  He stared at her until she sank into the seat of the chair he was perched on.  “Each crystal,” he continued, “is representative of an ideal or state of being.  And each one is protected by a tangible representation of that ideal, a challenge that must be passed in order to gain access to the crystal.  Tests that are designed to be accessible to those that would seek the crystal to destroy it, not use it.”

 

            “A Jedi, in other words,” Callista said, and Choarth nodded.

 

            “These challenges are tests of the mind, body and soul,” Choarth said, “and are not easy to pass, even for the Jedi.”

 

            “How did Malinse get your crystal, then?” Callista asked.

 

            “That was not the original hiding place for that piece of crystal, the Crystal of Mercy,” Choarth explained, his fur dulling as he remembered his failure to protect the crystal.  “It’s former location was threatened many years ago, and a brave Jedi Knight took it upon herself to move it – and me – to a new location.  Unfortunately, the challenge protection was broken, and could not be reformed in the new location.  The effort cost the Jedi her life.  I could not save her.”  Choarth stared intently at Callista for a moment, then lowered his gaze, and Callista could see tiny tears gather at the corner of his eyes and fall onto his soft fur,

 

            “I’m sorry, Choarth,” Callista reached up and rubbed a comforting hand through his fur.

 

            “It is no longer relevant,” he said firmly.  “But you needed to know the risk you are taking on.  You cannot afford distractions or uncertainties.  There are still five crystals left to retrieve.”

 

            “Five?” Luke asked.  “I thought you said Malinse only got your crystal.”

 

            “The Crystal of Innocence has been taken.  If it is not already in Malinse’s hands, it will be shortly.”

 

            “How do you know that?” Luke looked curiously at Choarth.

 

            “The telepathic connection between myself and the last remaining Guardian was broken shortly before I came in here,” Choarth said.  “She was guarding the Crystal of Innocence, and she guided the girl to it.”

 

            “Ellina?” Callista jumped up.  “Ellina has the crystal?”

 

            “She did have it.  Whether she still does or not is unknown.  Malinse may have captured her after he killed Cimas, the Guardian.”

 

            “Are you the only one left?” Callista asked, picking Choarth up and holding him in her hands.

 

            “That I am,” he slowly nodded.  “With the telepathic links between the Chey’Ins now broken, I do not know how many of the crystals are still left.  It is possible that the challenges may have been conquered by this time.  This is why it is imperative we must leave as quickly as we can.”

 

            “I just hope we can get to the rest of the crystals before Malinse does,” Callista said softly as she sat back down.

 

            “At least we’re going to the same places as he has to go,” Luke said.  “That will give us a better chance of getting both Ellina and the crystals back from him before he can join them together.  And eventually, he has to go to the planet that the crystal was created on.”

 

            And that would be where?” Callista turned her attention back to Choarth, who squirmed out of her hands and flew over to land on the back of Luke’s chair.

 

            “The planet is called Dromund Kaas, the third planet of the Dromund System.  It is located within the Outer Rim, but you will have difficulty locating it.  For millennia, the planet’s existence has been kept secret, relegated to mere myth and legend, and very few star charts exist that reveal its location.”

 

            “Looks like it’s back to the Archives,” Callista murmured and Luke nodded in agreement.

 

            “There is more,” Choarth continued.  “Dromund Kaas is steeped in the dark side of the Force.  A temple is built there, centered around a Force nexus.  This is where the demon resides, and the only place where it can be destroyed.  The final piece of the crystal is close by, but it is not protected by us.  It has its own powerful dark side barriers that are sure to protect it.”

 

            Callista glanced up at Luke, trying to hide her increasing unease at Choarth’s words.  “Maybe we should find the other crystals first before figuring out how to get the final one.  We’ll need those for the final one to be worth anything.”

 

            “That is correct,” Choarth said.  “Alone, the seventh piece is actually worthless.  But once joined with the others, it completes the Nocturne Crystal and provides it with immense power.  You are far better off holding as many of the other crystals as you can get.  Worry about Dromund Kaas later.  Your concern right now is getting to a planet called Velez.”

 

            Luke sat back in his chair and looked thoughtful.  “I’ve heard of that place,” he nodded.  It’s in the Outer Rim, but relatively close in.  For the Outer Rim, at least.”

 

            Callista nodded her agreement.  “It’s not that well known, though, since it’s pretty far off of any of the major trade routes.  Fairly uninhabitable place, too, from what I remember reading about it.”  She look at Choarth.  “Should we bring others in to search for the other crystal pieces?  They might be found quicker that way.”

 

            “No,” Choarth shook his head.  “The fewer people that know about the crystal and its abilities, the better.  And not everyone has the constitution to make it through the protection surrounding the crystals.”

 

            “Isn’t that reassuring,” Luke said with a slight sigh.

 

            “We should be used to this by now,” Callista said wryly as she stood up from her chair .  “I’m just glad I didn’t unpack.  On the go again.”

 

            “I didn’t think you ever stopped being on the go,” Luke commented as he started down the hall to pack his own bag, leaving Callista to pause and wonder about the implications of what he meant.


	17. Chapter 17

 

_            “Cerina, you promised!” Ellina crossed her arms and stared beseechingly at her twin sister._

_            “No, Ellina, I can’t do it.  It’s a bad idea.” Blue eyes, an identical match to her own, looked back at Ellina, scared and just a bit defiant._

_            “Cerina, we’ve been over this before.  I need your help.  Please!  Mother and Father’s expectations are too high for me – they’ve got the wrong daughter for the job.  This is what they want, not what I want.  I want to be free to explore the galaxy and make my own choices, not make everyone’s decisions for them.”_

_            “What makes you think I want to do that?” Cerina glared back at Ellina._

_            Ellina narrowed her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh in her twins’ direction.  “Because you’re good at that sort of thing,” she explained.  “You understand people better than I do.  And you’re more diplomatic.”_

_            “That’s because you don’t even try to be,” Cerina countered.  “You don’t take the time to  listen to people and what they’re asking.”_

_            “What they’re usually asking for is unreasonable,” Ellina grumbled under her breath.  “Now come on, Cee, you promised.  Just for a few months, please?”_

_            “We’re going to get in so much trouble when Mother and Father find out,” Cerina protested._

_            “Not if you play your part right,” Ellina said.  “It’s just for a few months, how much can go wrong in a few months?”_

 

            Ellina rolled over and groaned.  It was dark all around her again, but this time, she could feel smooth metal beneath her, and the low rumble of a ship’s engines.  The same ship she had previously escaped from.  She groaned again, her aching head making it easy to allow herself to slip into unconsciousness again.

 

            _“Thank you, Cee, I promise you won’t regret this,” Ellina leaned forward and gave her sister a hug._

_            “Maybe not, but you might, Ell,” Cerina countered.  “I still can’t believe I let you convince me to go along with your crazy plan.  You swear it’ll only be a couple months, right?”_

_            Ellina nodded eagerly.  “You can send a search party if I’m not back within three or four months.”_

_            “Three or four!  What happened to two or three?” Cerina protested._

_            “I can’t do anything in only two months,” Ellina said.  “It’s going to take me a week just to get off-planet quietly.”_

_            “I still wish you’d reconsider,” Cerina said quietly.  “Mother and Father are going to be upset over either of us running off, but if they find out it’s really you, it’ll be even worse.”_

_            “Then you’d better do a good impression of me,” Ellina said.  “Don’t be so thoughtful with everyone – cut them off, don’t listen to protests, and act more bored and impatient.” _

_            “Ell,” Cerina started, but Ellina cut her off._

_            “Good, that’s the kind of whine you need to have.  According to Mother, I need to stop whining when listening to petitioners, but it’ll look suspicious if I all of a sudden stop.  You’ll see, everything will work out.  Father will realize that the wrong daughters are in the wrong positions, and maybe he’ll change his mind.”_

_            “It’s more than his mind he’ll have to change,” Cerina said sadly._

_            “That’s why we have to take this chance,” Ellina pushed on.  “We might never be able to do this again, and if that’s the case, I want to be free to see the galaxy on my own one time before being tied down here for the rest of my life.”_

_            “Just be careful, Ell,” Cerina relented, giving her sister another hug.  “How are you going to get out of here?”_

_            “I have to get out of the city first.  If I can get to the port at  Cay’Een, I’ll be able to get out within a couple of days.  That’s one thing I have learned – their customs officials tend to slack off there more than any other port.  Father’s been after them to change that, but so far, they’re determined to do things their way.  I think that’s my best chance.  There’s bound to be some free-traders or pilots that will be willing to take me off-planet.”_

_            “For a fee, of course,” Cerina said, and Ellina held up a small coin purse and jingled it so Cerina could hear the sound of credits clinking together._

_            “Republic credits and Delfeire currency,” Ellina countered.  “Will you relax?”_

_            “Relax, and completely go against everything I’ve been for the last eighteen years,” Cerina grumbled good-naturedly.  “I’m the responsible one, remember?”_

_            Ellina shrugged.  “So much for the older one being the wiser one.  I think we’ve disproved that theory.”_

_            “I’m going to miss you, Ell,” Cerina whispered.  “This is so strange.  I’m not ready to be the older sister.”_

_            “You’ll be fine,” Ellina stepped forward and gave Cerina one more reassuring hug.  “I’ll contact you when I get off-planet and keep you updated as often as I can.  Let Mother and Father know every so often that I’m safe.  Or, rather, that ‘Cerina’ is safe.”_

_            “I’m going to forget to respond to Ellina, I just know it,” Cerina moaned as she followed Ellina down the hall._

_            “We’ve been responding to each other’s names our entire lives – no one will notice if you slip up once or twice,” Ellina reassured, stopping again in the archway that opened into one of the side gates, and beyond that, the path to the nearest city._

_            “Oh, Ell,” Cerina stepped up and hugged her sister again, then stepped back and the two stared at each other for several long moments.  Identical twins, together for their entire lives, now about to be separated – even if it was temporary – by Ellina’s rash and daring plan.  Both knew what Ellina was proposing was risky, but Cerina couldn’t deny her sister the chance to explore the galaxy out beyond their planet, and trading identities with her seemed to be the most rational plan that either of them had come up with – which wasn’t saying much._

_            With a final smile, Ellina pulled the hood of her cloak over her blonde hair and ducked through the archway, vanishing into the shadows that lined the pathway.  She paused once and lifted her hand to Cerina, then ducked back into darkness, fading from sight._

 

            This time, there was more light surrounding her when Ellina woke up.  Her head still ached, enough to that she had to squint against the light, which seemed unnaturally bright.  She squirmed around a bit, but her body screamed at her that that would not be a good idea.  Thinking back, she tried to remember what had happened to cause her pain to this extent…

 

_            “Thought you could escape from me,” the dreaded voice of the Dark Jedi she had grown to loathe growled, and she felt the heavy tread of his boot come down on her side, pinning her to the ground.  “You’re not going to get away from me that easy.”_

_            Ellina thrashed her arms, trying to hit him behind the knees, but she was at the wrong angle to effectively reach him, and he just let a sadistic chuckle escape as he watched her flail around ineffectually.  _

_            “Now you’re going to give me the crystal.  I should thank you for retrieving it and saving me the bloodshed,” he grinned down at her, but the effect was more disconcerting than reassuring.  _

_            Ellina furiously shook her head.  “Never,” she hissed at him, stilling her movement and watching him._

_            He just gave her a bored look, then reach down and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, hauling her to her feet and letting her stand for a moment before hurling her against the side of the chamber.  She hit the wall with a resounding crack and slumped to the ground, whimpering with pain.  Her head felt as though it had been split in two, and her left arm felt as though it was on fire – the same pain that she had felt when she fell out of a tree at age seven and broken that same arm._

_            He stalked over to her and Ellina curled up and whimpered, but his gaze was on something else – the crystal.  It had fallen out of her shirt when she hit the wall, and it was laying next to her, glittering the same deep blue it had been earlier.  He reached down and picked it up, wrapping his fingers around it and grasping it in his palm, but as Ellina watched, senses dulled with pain, she was able to barely make out a faint light shining through his palm.  Through it?_

_            She continued to watch as his face contorted with pain, then with a yell, he released his grip on the crystal, where it dropped to the ground and rolled towards her.  He was too busy cradling his injured hand, which Ellina could see was covered in angry red welts and deep burns, to notice as she inched out her good arm and seized the crystal back, tucking it inside her sleeve before she sank back to the ground, continuing to take inventory of her aching body._

_            Ellina was certain her arm was broken, and the pounding in her head suggested a concussion, but the rest of her aches seemed to be limited to bruises.  A lot of bruises.  The Dark Jedi seemed to have sufficiently recovered from the initial surprise of what the crystal had done, and now Ellina could see he was angry.  She tried to stay conscious, but he reached down and yanked the wrist of her bad arm, and the red-hot pain racing through her arm sent her spiraling down into blackness._

            She now saw that her arm had been crudely bandaged, enough to prevent further damage, but not enough to promote healing.  She was in a different part of the ship this time – a tiny room not much larger than a closet, with only a rough blanket thrown on the floor.  Amazingly, she could still feel the crystal, cool against the skin of her arm, and she marveled that it had stayed hidden, although she suspected that it wasn’t truly that secret, but rather, her captor had no desire to recreate his first encounter with it, and that was the only reason she was still alive – she was the only one who could handle it.


	18. Chapter 18

 

            “Have you seen Artoo anywhere?” Luke asked as he entered the kitchen, a tote slung over his back,  Callista looked up from where she was sitting at the table, reading over half a dozen sheets of flimsiplast that were spread out in front of her.

 

            “I haven’t seen him since I first got here,” she said.  “I saw him in the main hangar, he blew a raspberry at me, then I saw him disappear behind my ship.  Other than that, I have no idea where he went.”

 

            “That’s really strange,” Luke shook his head.  “Normally, I can find him around the computers, especially this time of day.  This is when he typically does some data organizing.”

 

            Callista smirked.  “Hiding from some of the students, is he?”

 

            “I’d never say that directly to him, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Luke grinned at her, reliving for a moment the comfortable feeling of familiarity that they had once shared.  She caught his gaze and held it for a moment before glancing down again at the tabletop.

 

            The moment broken, Callista shuffled through the sheets of flimsiplast again before handing one to Luke.  “I think this is what we’re looking for – it’s a fairly detailed terrain map.  Well, as detailed as something that is essentially a flat grassland can get.”

 

            “What exactly are we supposed to be looking for?” Luke glanced over the map, but it was difficult to locate any definitive landscape features.  The entire planetary surface appeared to be made up of grasslands dotted with low, rolling hills.

 

            “All of the crystal chambers are located underground,” Choarth spoke up from his perch on top of one of the kitchen cabinets.  “It will be difficult to determine the location based on a map.  You will have better success once you are on the planet, as long as your ship has planetary surface scanning equipment.”

 

            Callista glanced at Luke, who shook his head.  “Afraid not,” he said.  “The _Mystic_ was in pretty rough shape when I got her, and I’ve just been working on putting her back together.  She doesn’t have much by way of amenities.”

 

            “The _Righteous_ should have what we need,” Callista said.  She smiled sadly at the memory of Bazin, who had made sure to equip his ship with the finest gadgets he could get his hands on.  “It’s just a matter of figuring out how it all works.”

 

            “I’m sure Artoo can help,” Luke offered.

 

            “I might need it,” Callista said wryly.  “Arseva isn’t as perfect as she likes to think she is when it comes to operating some of the finer points of the _Righteous_.”

 

            “Arseva?”

 

            “Um, R7-XA5.  Bazin’s droid that came with me.  I left her with the ship, and come to think about it, I’m surprised I haven’t seen her.  Normally she’s very curious, especially for a droid.  She always reminded me a little bit of Artoo that way.”  Their eyes met again.  “You don’t think-” Callista began.

 

            “I wouldn’t put it past Artoo,” Luke said.  “He’s probably thrilled to have another droid around that isn’t Threepio.  And how much trouble could they get into around here?”

 

            “You still haven’t learned not to ask that question?” Callista rolled her eyes.  “I’d hate to think about the ways Arseva could corrupt Artoo.  Her programming is not exactly what I would call ladylike.  She’s been around spaceport mechanics for too long, I think.”

 

            Luke started for the door.  “I’m going to make sure Artoo doesn’t cause too much trouble, or get another wild programming idea before we leave.”

 

            “Another wild programming idea?” Callista tilted her head slightly, a bemused expression flitting across her face.

 

            “Long story,” Luke said as he stepped through the door.  “I’ll be right back.”

 

***

 

            Less than twenty minutes later, Callista heard the door open again, and Luke walked in, trailed by two droids that looked rather forlorn, if such a thing were possible in mechanicals.

 

            “This, I assume, is Arseva?” Luke waved a hand in the purple and white droid’s direction.  Before Callista could answer, Arseva warbled a soft raspberry and rolled over to the table where Callista sat. 

 

            Callista gave the droid a dark look, which was responded to with another raspberry, and before Callista could say anything, Arseva extended a manipulator arm and snatched one of the flimsiplast sheets before rolling over to Artoo, tweeting excitedly.

 

            “Arseva, bring that back,” Callista demanded, and received a defiant whistle in response.  She threw her hands up in frustration and brushed a couple stray curls out of her eyes.  “I always knew she could be stubborn,” Callista sighed and glanced at Luke, “but she usually listens to me.  I think Artoo has been a bad influence.”

 

            “Not even Artoo has that much of an attitude,” Luke defended his favorite droid, who cheerfully whistled before blatting a raspberry in Arseva’s direction.

 

            “Are they arguing?” Callista regarded the two droids with a raised eyebrow.

 

            When Arseva responded back in kind to Artoo, Luke nodded.  “It sure sounds like it.  I interrupted what seemed to be quite the dispute in the hangar.”

 

            “I don’t think I want to know,” Callista murmured and shook her head.

 

            “No, you don’t,” Luke agreed.  “Basically, they were comparing parts between the _Mystic_ and the _Righteous_.  They seemed to think that the engine of the _Righteous_ is what the _Mystic_ needs to become fully functional again.  And Artoo was marveling at some of the upgrades in the _Righteous _as well.”

 

            “You’re right, I didn’t want to know,” Callista glanced at the two droids.  “They’re dangerous together.”

 

“Okay, you two, no cannibalizing either ship for parts, no matter how fancy.  Do you understand me?” Luke said, mock-scolding both droids, and he had to fight to keep the smile off his face when both droids let out low, mournful whines.  “I never thought I’d find another droid with as much personality as Artoo,” Luke marveled.

 

            Arseva seemed to take this remark as a compliment, and let out a shy whistle before sliding the flimsiplast sheet in front of Luke as he sat down at the table.  She let out a soft warble, then retreated back to where Artoo had set up in front of the data port. 

 

            “I do believe my droid likes you,” Callista remarked. “That last whistle sounded decidedly like she was telling you to be careful,” she grinned as she watched Luke suddenly become very interested in the tabletop surface, a faint blush turning his tan cheeks tawny.  _She does have good taste,_ she reflected inwardly, not daring to voice her thoughts out loud.  She looked away hurriedly, hoping her face wasn’t revealing too much of what she was feeling at the moment.

 

            Fortunately, Artoo chose that moment to whistle and tweep excitedly, disconnecting from the data port and wheeling around in circles.  Luke held his hands up, calming the little droid down.  “Slow down, Artoo.  What did you find?”

 

            Artoo proceeded to tweet and whistle, directing Luke to the screen beside the  data port.  Luke glanced at the information that Artoo sent scrolling across the screen, then turned back to Callista.  “Artoo found some old HoloNet reports that detail Velez and an archaeological expedition that conducted ground surveys about twenty years ago on the planet.  It says that while they never had a chance to explore their findings, the report was published and filed in most standard galactic archives.”

 

            Callista nodded her understanding.  “Ground surveys would likely detail unusual areas that could indicate an underground chamber or cavern.  And if it was readily available…Artoo, can you find that report, or are we going to need to search for a hard copy?”

 

            Artoo whistled an affirmative, backed up by Arseva, who let out a slightly indignant chirp at not being asked first.  “Hush,” Callista scolded her droid.  “It’s not your data port to access.  You need to ask first.  What?” she noticed Luke was watching her with an amused grin.

 

            “You sound like you’re scolding a child,” Luke answered in his gently teasing tone, and Callista found herself blushing in response and quite unable to think up a suitable retort.

 

            “Um, well, she does take some looking after,” she finally came up with, shrugging in what she hoped was a casual manner.  That seemed to do the trick, as neither of them offered to further pursue that line of conversation.

 

            Artoo interrupted with a loud beep, and new data scrolled onto the screen – the aforementioned ground survey report.

 

            “Good job, Artoo,” Luke complimented.  “This will save us a lot of additional searching.”

 

            “Especially on the planet,” Callista commented.  “There’s probably a way to use the survey data in conjunction with the scanning equipment to make locating the caverns a bit easier.  Hopefully.”

 

            “At least Velez isn’t that large of a planet,” Luke said.  “Although this is one case where having a largely populated planet might be more helpful.  As it is, we have kilometers and kilometers of open grassland to scan.”

 

            “Well, you’re not going to find it while you’re sitting around strategizing,” Choarth finally spoke up again, having awoken from his brief nap.  “That chamber isn’t going to light up and send fireworks to alert you to its location as soon as you land on-planet, so you’d be better off discussing this on the way.  Every minute you wait is another minute the opposition could use to his advantage.


	19. Chapter 19

 

            All of the occupants on board the _Righteous Indignation_ were silent as the ship flew through hyperspace.  Luke found himself occupied with trying to bring the surface scanning program online, a task Callista had warned him about.  Due to Bazin’s tinkering with most of the systems on the ship, things didn’t always function in predictable ways, as Luke was now finding out.

 

            The scanning program still stubbornly refused to work, although in the back of his mind, Luke knew that was likely due to the fact he wasn’t really paying attention to what he was doing.  He had offered to figure out the system as a way to distract himself, but it wasn’t working, and he found his thoughts drifting to the other human occupant of the ship.

 

            Seeing Callista again had been the last thing he had expected, and he had been feeling off-balance ever since she had stepped through the doorway.  There was a palpable tension between the two of them that hadn’t existed before, and an invisible line that neither seemed willing to cross.  He knew their discussions had been stiff and awkward, both of them distinctly uncomfortable.

 

            He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel.  A part of him had been shocked and thrilled to see her step through the door again, no matter the circumstances.  He had missed her so much over the last three years, and now, to see her again made him want to take her in his arms again and not let go of her this time.

 

            There was another part of him – one that he was trying very hard to ignore – that was feeling the unfamiliar bristling of resentment that she thought she could walk back into his life with a problem and then walk right back out again.  Didn’t she know how much she meant to him, and how much it ripped him apart to let her go?

 

            He absently banged his hand on the side of the console, partially out of frustration, partially out of confusion, and to his surprise, the system hummed to life.  Luke couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped at the irony of it.  His musings were interrupted by a light tapping, and he looked up to see Callista leaning out of the doorway to the cockpit.

 

            “We’ve got about fifteen minutes before we drop out of hyperspace,” she said, glancing at the now lit-up scanning system with a look of relief on her face.  “I’m glad one of us could get that thing working.  I don’t know how this ship even runs with all of the modifications and additions.”

 

            “Well, it’s not unlike the _Millennium Falcon_,” Luke stood up and stretched, looking over the scanner one last time, making sure it was still in working order.  “Except there’s far less space tape holding things together.”

 

            Callista grinned at this comment, then disappeared from the doorway.  When Luke entered the cockpit, she was bent over one of the computer screens, reading the data reports that Artoo had downloaded for them.  Rereading, Luke suspected, since he had barely seen her since they had taken off from Yavin 4, and that data reports weren’t that extensive.

 

            Callista finally looked up.  “I think we’re looking at a standard representative of Outer Rim planets,” she said wryly.  “Small population, scattered cities, and extreme weather conditions.”

 

            She was interrupted from further explanation by the beeping of the navicomputer, signaling it was time to exit hyperspace.

 

***

 

            From space, it was difficult to see the planetary-wide grasslands of Velez, for the majority of the atmosphere was covered in a layer of thick, swift-moving clouds.  High-speed winds whipped across the planet’s surface during the day, beginning with the sunrise and ending with the sunset.  The winds were not ideal working conditions, and as such, Velez had become a very nocturnal planet, its inhabitants venturing out after the winds began to abate in the evening.

 

            “This is going to make scanning more of a challenge,” Luke noted.  “We can’t scan through the clouds, and with the speed of the wind, flying is going to be a lot tougher.”

 

            Callista handed him several printouts.  “Based on the initial surveys the archaeological teams did, I think I narrowed down a few possible areas where the chamber could be located.  Two of them are within several hundred kilometers of each other, but the other is on the opposite side of the planet.”

 

            “I’d say we try the individual one,” Luke said.  “Two underground chambers close to each other are more likely to be part of a natural cave formation, whereas a lone one could indicate something that isn’t naturally occurring.”

 

            “That is good thinking,” Choarth flew into the cockpit and landed on Callista’s shoulder.  “And I can also tell you that you are correct in your thinking.  The lone cave is most likely the crystal chamber.”

 

            “Good,” Callista nodded.  “You’re the better pilot,” she turned to Luke and offered the controls.  “It’s been years since I’ve flown in this strong of a wind.  Do you want to take her in?”

 

            “Sure,” Luke’s eyes were sparkling at the thought of the challenge that bringing the ship down in high-speed winds would provide.  The ship was highly maneuverable, and responded to a light touch on the controls, but as the ship dropped lower into the atmosphere, it became more and more difficult to hold the controls steady in the face of the buffeting winds.

 

            Luke glanced over at Callista, but her face was an unreadable mask.  If she was put off by the conditions outside, she was doing a good job of hiding it.  It took several more minutes, and a few gut-wrenching moments when the ship would drop into a low pressure pocket, but eventually Luke was able to land the ship within several kilometers of their destination. 

 

            The rolling hills proved to be larger than they appeared at first, as well as a lot steeper.  It took Luke several tries to find a suitable spot to land, but one was finally located in a tiny valley between two of the larger hills.

 

            After the ship landed and the engines were shut down, it was even more obvious how strong the wind was.  The ship swayed slightly, although the valley and the sides of the hills protected it from the worst of the wind.

 

            “Do we wait until this evening, when the wind settles down, or should we start searching for the chamber now?” Callista glanced out the viewport at the meter-tall grass on the sides of the hills that was bent horizontal with the force of the wind.

 

            “The darkness will make it harder to find any hidden entrances,” Luke pointed out.

 

            “And really, it’s only wind,” Callista tossed her loose curls over her shoulder.  “If we find that chamber, it means we’ll have a place to get out of the wind, too.”  With that, she slipped past Luke and out of the cockpit to retrieve her pack.  She blew out an agitated breath and leaned against the interior wall, forehead resting on the cool metal.  The next crystal had to be here, she just knew it. _ Then why do I feel so blasted uneasy?_

 

            Ever since they landed, she had been unable to let go of the bad feeling that gripped her, a foreboding that lurked at the back of her mind.  Whispering to her, warning her…of what?

 

            The sound of Luke entering the main hold jarred her from her thoughts, and with an effort, she pushed the bad feeling aside and bent down to pick up her pack.  As she grasped the handles, her mind was assaulted with a flurry of images…

 

            _She was underground.  A faint blue light at the far end of the chamber provided the only illumination – enough so she could see a small underground river running through the middle of the chamber.  It was deathly quiet.  Water droplets formed on the ceiling and dripped to the ground below, the sound sending tiny echoes throughout the chamber._

_            A slight movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she instinctively shrank into the shadows.  Her eyes had adjusted to the dark by now, and she could make out a darker shape in the middle of the chamber – rectangular in shape, with multiple levels, she was too far away to tell what it was made of, or any other details for that matter._

_            Again, there was movement, this time closer to the river, and this time, she heard a faint footfall.  No!  She thought she had lost them in the city.  How had they caught her trail this quickly?  She reached out, but could only sense one of them.  Had they left the others outside to guard the entrance, and prevent anyone from coming in – or out?_

_            At least there was only one of them to deal with in the chamber.  She hadn’t expected it to be this dark, and the river was an additional obstacle she would have to take into consideration.  Unless she could use it to her advantage…_

_            Crouching down, she felt around on the ground until her hands met a small rock, most likely broken loose from the ceiling above.  Perfect.  She waited until she heard another tentative footstep, then hurled the rock into the river.  The splash sounded louder than it really was, given the echo effect of the chamber, but she couldn’t have asked for a better reaction._

_            She heard the scramble of feet against the rocky ground, then a dull thud when the rocks got to be too much for the other person to keep their balance.  Now was her chance.  She darted out of the shadows and sprinted to the shape in the middle of the chamber.  As she neared it, the ground changed, becoming smooth and slick under her feet, and she could see the shape was made of the same material._

_            The faint blue light reflected off the material just enough for her to see the details.  It had to be some sort of altar, and the slick material it was formed from was glass.  Intricate detailing adorned the sides of the rectangle, and its top was crafted of multiple levels of glass shapes and forms._

_            Before she could touch it, she heard scrambling footsteps behind her.  The pursuer had gotten to his feet, and she could hear his ragged breathing and muttered cursing as he neared her.  Now what?_

_            There was enough light around the altar that she was able to see the shape of the person pursuing her.  Ah, they had sent the large one, most likely hoping to overwhelm her with size.  But her slighter stature gave her an advantage – speed.  She didn’t stand a chance if it came down to a battle of sheer strength, though, and she knew she’d have to outmaneuver him before the fight could degenerate into a brawling match._

_            He lunged at her, and she jumped backwards, feet skidding on the smooth glass.  She scrambled, trying to stay upright, but she fell, still sliding across the ground.  Her opponent seemed confused by the move, and she used to moment to sweep her foot at his ankles as she slid by him._

_            The move wasn’t enough to take him down, but it did take him off balance for a moment, as slowed her momentum enough for her to jump to her feet.  She faced him again, this time with one hand gripping the smooth metal cylinder of her lightsaber.  She heard her Master’s voice warning her against striking at an unarmed opponent, and she stilled the finger that was straying towards the activation button.  She didn’t let go of it, though._

_            Her opponent lunged again – his signature move, or at least, the only one he seemed able to remember, she smirked – and she neatly sidestepped him, waiting until he had passed her before spinning around and snapping a neat kick into the small of his back.  That brought him to his knees, but he swiped backwards with an enormous paw of a hand and caught her behind her knees, sweeping her legs out from under her and landing her on her back._

_            She lay still, breath knocked out of her, as he reached down and grabbed her arm, hauling her upright before slinging her around and letting go.  She flew through the air, landing hard on her shoulder on the rough, rocky part of the ground.  Her momentum kept her rolling, and then she felt the brief sensation of weightlessness before dropping into the icy river._

_            She held her breath as soon as she hit the water, and forced herself to relax as she dropped beneath the current.  The river was fast moving in sections, but she had been lucky enough to land close to the bank, where the current was much calmer.  The icy water sent needles of pain into her body, but it also helped clear her head and ease of pain in her shoulder.  And parts of the ocean were much colder than this._

_            Her lightsaber.  Where was it?  She had it in her hand when she hit the ground.  Had she kept her grip on it, or had it too dropped into the river?  She opened her eyes, but it was too dark to see anything under the water, and the breath she had taken was about to give out._

_            She surfaced with a sputter, clawing her  way up the rocky bank, ignoring for the moment the rocks biting into her knees and hands, ripping at her skin and clothing.  To her immense relief, she saw a flash of silver to her right – her lightsaber!  It lay on the bank, wedged between a couple of rocks.  She called it to her hand, and this time, allowed herself the satisfaction of hearing the familiar snap-hiss of the blade as she turned it on._

_            The blue blade matched perfectly the hue of light in the chamber, not even casting any additional light to the surroundings.  She could see the silhouette of the man standing in front of the altar, and she rushed towards him.  Whatever happened, he could not be allowed to get a hold of the crystal!_

 

            Callista gasped, a shuddering breath, and was surprised to find herself on her knees, hands braced against the wall for support.  Luke was kneeling beside her, looking worried.

 

            “What happened?” he gripped her shoulder, glancing at her as if he expected her to fall over at any minute.

 

            Callista just shook her head.  “I have no idea,” she whispered.  “Some sort of flashback or memory – except it wasn’t something that happened to me.  It felt familiar, like it was from my perspective, but it wasn’t me.  There was another crystal chamber.  Underground.  There was a river running through it.  Someone was trying to get the crystal.  A Jedi.  Except someone was chasing her, trying to get the crystal.  They fought.  I don’t know what happened, it ended before I could see the outcome.”  She wrapped her arms around herself, shaking slightly.  It had all seemed so _real_ – as if she had been the one to go underwater.  Her still sore ribs reminded her that she too had just recently gone through a fight, and wasn’t imaging _that _pain.

 

            But why had it seemed so familiar?  Was it a memory?  Or a premonition?  She _knew_ it hasn’t happened to her.  For one thing, she had never even heard of the crystals until getting caught up in recent events, and for another, the lightsaber was the wrong color.  Her fingers brushed the metal cylinder at her side.  Even after everything she had been through, she still had her original lightsaber, a fact she was ridiculously grateful for.  Her last link to her past life.

 

            “Come on,” she said, grabbing the straps on her pack as she stood up.  “I don’t know what it means, but sitting around here trying to figure it out won’t get us anywhere.  I’ll tell you about it as we’re searching.”

 

            Luke nodded, although she could see he was still concerned, as well as curious.  He lowered the ramp, and they were immediately buffeted by gusts of wind that swirled through the entry hatch and whipped through the main hold, sending any lightweight, loose items that had not been secured flying through the air.

 

            As soon as the ramp stabilized against the ground, Arseva rolled forward, Artoo fast behind her.  The droid let out an indignant squawk as soon as she got off the ramp, though – the tall grasses had tangled in her treads, effectively halting any forward movement.  She let out a pitiful moan and swiveled her head around the look at Callista, still standing in the entryway.

 

            “Well, that’s not going to work,” she commented, starting down the ramp and kneeling down next to the droid.  She tugged at some of the loose grasses before working out the tangled wads of grass that were stuck in Arseva’s treads.  Artoo let out a derisive raspberry from his position still on the ramp, and Arseva returned with a string a hoots and whistles that made Callista blush and Luke’s eyes widen.

 

            “I told you she was spending too much time around the mechanics,” she tried to explain as she tugged free the last stubborn piece of grass.  She sat back on her heels, giving Arseva a once over.  “Now,” she said, “I don’t think you droids can come with us – the entire planet is covered in this grass, and we can’t stop every two minutes to get either of you unstuck.”

 

            Arseva let out a mournful wail.  “I’m sorry,” Callista began, giving Arseva a comforting pat on her domed head.  “We’re going to need help from inside the ship, anyway.  “With the wind as strong as it is, we couldn’t use the surface scanner.  We need you and Artoo to figure out if you can rig it up to work from the ground, and direct us to the chamber.”

 

            Arseva whimpered again, and Artoo let out what sounded like a consoling whine before rolling up the ramp, pausing to let out a series of indignant-sounding beeps and chirps in Luke’s direction before disappearing inside the ship, Arseva following behind him, manipulator arm clutching the small comlink Callista had given her.

 

            “That went well,” Luke commented mildly.  “In fact, it almost sounded as though Artoo didn’t mind being left behind.”

 

            “I think we would have had more of a fit if we tried to separate them,” Callista rolled her eyes.  “Who would have thought a droid could get lonely?”

 

            “I’ve learned not to underestimate anything about Artoo,” Luke said as he made his way down the ramp.  After he had stepped onto solid ground, Callista closed the ramp from the outside control panel, then stepped back and surveyed the hills surrounded them.  “According to the earlier aerial surveys, the ground signs that indicated a possible chamber are in that direction,” she waved her hand to the east, and the highest of the hills surrounding them.

 

            “Of course it is,” Luke muttered wryly, taking in the height of the climb.  “I guess that’s the direction we go, then,” he started up the climb, lifting his feet high in order to keep from getting tangled in the tall grasses.


	20. Chapter 20

The wind at the top of the hill was extraordinarily strong, even more so than down in the valley, and Luke and Callista were almost blown to their knees as they crested the top of the hill. It was too windy to even talk, but Luke was still holding Callista’s hand after he had reached out to catch her when she had slipped near the top, and he now squeezed her hand to get her attention.

When she glanced at him, he raised his hand and pointed down into the next valley. There, in the shadow of one of the smaller hills, was a multi-tiered temple-type building, crumbling around the edges, half-buried in the side of the hill.

_So much for needing that scanning equipment,_ Luke thought, and at his nod, they started down the other side of the hill, alternating between slipping to their knees and grabbing onto the other for support.

After another half hour of sliding and stumbling down the hill, they made it to the valley floor. The valley was even more protected than the other one, and they were once again able to converse between themselves.

“That was interesting,” Callista commented, trying to smooth back her unruly curls. The wind had done a number on it, and she had given up all pretenses of trying to keep it contained. “What do you think?” she motioned to the building.

“It feels right,” Luke nodded. “But just to make sure,” he looked at the pack Callista carried, and she slung it off her back and set it on the ground, opening the top flap enough for Choarth to poke his head out.

“This is the place,” he announced, and burrowed back into the pack, claiming the winds were too strong, and that he would likely be blown to the other side of the planet if he did not have the safety of the pack. Callista supposed he had a point, but the Guardian could do a little more than give cryptic messages and occasional input, and she jostled the pack a little rougher than she normally would have as she put it back on. She couldn’t fight the grin that spread across her face, either, when she heard Choarth’s grumbles of protest.

The temple building looked more and more foreboding the closer they got to it. It had fallen into a state of disrepair, the edges crumbling away from the multiple levels. There didn’t seem to be a pattern to the levels, but the more Callista looked at them, the more familiar they felt. She realized she had seen a design like this before, only downsized – in her vision back on the ship. The altar in that vision had looked like this temple.

The door to the temple was gone, leaving a gaping maw in the stonework. It was impossible to see what lay beyond it other than darkness. The doorway was surrounded by a courtyard, a crumbling fountain, long run dry, positioned in the center of it, and around the courtyard, a dozen rusty old flagpoles stood sentry, tattered flags of a dozen different worlds hanging limply off the tops. Most of the colors had faded and bled, and the high winds had ripped the flags to ribbons, making it impossible to decipher the logos and lettering that remained.  
Choarth squirmed his way out of the pack and clawed onto Callista’s shoulder, gripping a pawful of hair to keep himself anchored, ignoring her irritated look. “The crystal chamber is underground,” he motioned to the dark doorway.

Luke and Callista both nodded their understanding, and Choarth jumped from Callista’s shoulder to Luke’s. “Should we go down together, or split up?” Luke asked, taking several steps into the courtyard, eyeing the doorway.

“I’d say split up,” Callista said firmly. “I’ll stay out here and keep a watch out. If Malinse hasn’t already been here, then he’s probably not far behind us. I’d hate to have him show up and get the jump on us down in the chamber. There’s a lot more space out here,” she glanced at their surroundings, resting a hand on one of the rusty flagpoles.

“Okay,” Luke hesitated a second. “Just – be careful. Something doesn’t feel quite right.”

“I know,” Callista nodded. “And same to you. Who knows what’s decided to make a home down there?”

***

Callista looked at the dried up fountain, half-closing her eyes and trying to imagine how the area had once looked. It looked as though it had originally been built for something other than protection of the crystal – the ring of flagpoles suggested some sort of group or organization.

She wished she could get a closer look at some of the flags – maybe up close, some of the writing would still be legible. From the ground, though, all she could make out were the faded colors and some patterns. A black and red harlequin patterned flag caught her interest – among the twelve, it was the best preserved, faint traces of silvery writing still evident, even from a distance.

She moved to get a closer look at the flag – the patterning seemed somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it before, but before she could do that, the sound of rocks crumbling caught her attention, and she spun around as she caught sight of her familiar – and dreaded – nemesis Malinse.

“Well, well, well,” the Dark Jedi said with a sneer. “If it isn’t the little has-been Jedi.”

“And if it isn’t the scum-sucking, half-witted, toady-to-the-dark-side Sith-wannabe,” Callista retorted, her hand going to her lightsaber.

Malinse laughed. “How pathetic. Has the once-mighty Callista fallen so far from grace that she must now resort to insults and name-calling?”

Callista took a few steps back, trying desperately to buy time. She had been looking forward to a rematch with this nutjob, but not now. This was definitely the wrong place at the wrong time. _Luke, whatever you’re doing down there, you’d better hurry._

  
“Where’s Ellina?” she demanded. “What have you done with her?”

“Oh, you mean that irritating little brat that I kidnapped?” Malinse laughed again, sending a shiver down Callista’s spine. “She outlived her usefulness. She’s dead now.” When he saw the shock in Callista’s eyes, he nodded. “That’s right. I killed her. You should have seen it. She was on her knees, begging for her life. I took my time with her, of course...”

Callista felt the first faint whisper of anger, and her grip around her lightsaber tightened. _You monster,_ she thought. _You sadistic, low-life monster._

Perhaps he was bluffing. Perhaps he had Ellina stashed somewhere, a prisoner but at least alive. If Callista still had her Force powers, she could have detected whether or not Malinse was lying. But one look into those cold, evil eyes of his, and Callista’s worst fears were confirmed.

Ellina was dead.

***

 

The interior of the crumbling temple was not any lighter on this side of the doorway, and Luke rummaged around in his pack until he found a glowbar and snapped it, shedding a soft, diffuse yellow glow on his surroundings.

 

He spun slowly around in a circle, taking in the dark, low-hanging ceilings and the rotting support beams.  It was a place suffering from years, possibly even decades of neglect, and he was careful where he put his feet.  Puffs of dust rose with every footfall, and pretty soon, a dusty fog was following in his wake.

 

Choarth pointed him towards a dark hallway in the back of the large chamber, and he could barely make out a steep flight of steps twisting out of sight, winding their way beneath the earth.  The staircase looked in even worse condition than the rest of the temple, if that were possible.  Luke was just grateful the steps appeared to be made of stone, rather than wood.  Age had worn the stones to a smooth, slick finish, and many of the edges had crumbled away, leaving only a small part of the step behind.

 

Luke carefully picked his way down the steps, glowbar held in front of him to illuminate the next precarious step until he finally reached the bottom of the staircase.  The narrow pathway opened up into a large underground chamber, far larger than the temple above.  Strangely enough, it was lighter here underground in the chamber than it had been up above in the temple.

 

Luke glanced around, holding the glowbar aloft and trying to get a better sense of his surroundings.  The walls of the cavern were rough, jagged rock, and it was obvious that little effort had been made to smooth them out.  The floor, however, was mostly smooth, save for stray rocks that had fallen from the ceiling below and shattered on the hard surface.  Every few meters, large crystals the size of Luke’s fists put together had been inset into the rough stone, and they let off a faint glow, enough to provide minimal amounts of lighting.

 

In the center of the chamber was a large, boxy shape, too far away to make out any details other than a shadowy silhouette.  Luke took several steps forward into the chamber at the same time he felt Choarth leap off his shoulder and land back on the stairs.

 

“My presence here will be seen as aiding you, which is not condoned,” he said.  “I must stay here.”

 

Luke sighed, but didn’t try to reason with the stubborn creature.  He recognized the determination in the creature’s stance and knew that anything he said would be useless, so he simply turned back around and started walking towards the center of the room again.

 

The closer he got to the object in the center of the room, the more detail he was able to see.  It appeared to be made of several layers, and its structure looked very similar to that of the outside temple, with uneven levels of various sizes.  Intricate carvings spiraled up the sides of some of the boxy shapes, forming designs Luke had never seen before.

 

The altar appeared to be made of glass, and as he got closer, he could see that the ground was also covered in glass, as though the altar had melted down and spread over the surface.  It was slippery beneath his boots, and the first couple steps he took were cautious as he tested the strength of the glass underfoot.

 

He felt drawn to the altar.  There was no explanation for it, but he could feel himself being pulled slowly towards it.  He sensed no threat coming from it, and after standing in front of it for several moments, carefully reached out and lightly touched the edge of it.

 

Nothing happened for a moment, then a faint light began to form deep within the altar, slowly brightening until the whole thing glowed with a bright white light.  Luke had automatically taken several steps away, and he shielded his eyes, which had grown accustomed to the dim surroundings.

 

He blinked rapidly several times as the light started to fade again, and when his vision cleared, he stumbled backwards in surprise.  The light was still there, but it had coalesced into a ethereal form of a mostly human-looking young woman.  She said nothing, only watched him for a time before beckoning him forward.

 

***

  
A wave of emotions arose in Callista–anger, desire for revenge, but most of all, guilt. Ellina had been an innocent. Callista had dragged her into this mess, and Ellina had paid for it with her life. Callista couldn’t undo the past, but she sure as hell was determined to avenge her friend’s death.

“How could you?” she said furiously. “She was just a child!”

“Killing children is my specialty,” Malinse said.

“I’ll bet it is,” Callista said in a low, dangerous voice. She wasn’t going to stand anything less than the death of this butcher. “You call yourself a warrior? You murdered an innocent child! You’re no warrior. You’re a fraud and a coward.”

Malinse merely shook his head. “You must have a death wish, has-been.”

Callista nodded. “Maybe I do. But I’m not the one who’s gonna die here today.”

The sneer on the Dark Jedi’s face widened. “I accept the challenge. You think you’re ready for me? Come.” He waved Callista forth with his fingers. “Let’s how long you’ll last against me without the Force.”

_Use the dark side. It’s easy. It’ll give you the power you need to kill this animal. Just this one time, and then you’ll never have to use it again._

_I promise..._

Callista, boiling with rage, threw herself with a wild shriek at the Dark Jedi and attacked. Malinse was so taken aback that he didn’t have time to ignite his lightsaber. Callista threw a quick and furious array of punches toward Malinse. But the Dark Jedi was quick to recover, and he blocked every one of her blows as the two of them engaged in a ferocious tornado of hand-to-hand combat.

All the while, that dark, evil voice continued to whisper in the back of Callista’s mind, goading her, taunting her. _Use the dark side. Just a little Force lightning, and the battle will be over. Do it for Ellina! Avenge her death! You know this is what she would have wanted._

Callista tried every trick she knew–kicks, punches, uppercuts, head-butting, leg-sweeping, elbowing–but Malinse was a good fighter. Every blow she threw at him was blocked.

“Ha!” Malinse taunted as he blocked a right hook that would have hit him in the jaw had it connected.

After fighting endlessly for a few minutes, Callista feinted to the right. Malinse moved to defend himself, then quickly realized his mistake.

“Ha yourself!” Callista snapped as she sent a backhand slap across the man’s face. Malinse’s head snapped to the left, a welt forming on his cheek. The Dark Jedi turned back, gnashing his teeth.

Callista gave him no chance to resume the offensive. She leaped into the air, grabbing a hold of a low-lying crystal chandelier that had to have been a thousand years old. Using the chandelier as leverage, Callista swung toward Malinse and smashed both feet into his chest. She heard a very satisfying _crack_ as several of the Dark Jedi’s ribs protested this treatment. Malinse was pitched back through the air, crashing into the old fountain.

Callista let go of the chandelier and landed gracefully on her feet, watching in disdain as Malinse struggled to his feet, scrambling clumsily out of the old fountain, breaking it apart in the process. “Not used to that kind of treatment, are you?” she called out, goading the Dark Jedi.

It seemed to work, for Malinse leaped out of the ruined fountain and charged toward her. But Callista was one step ahead of him. She already where she wanted to take this fight to.

  
Callista turned and sprinted toward the flagpoles. She finally gave in to that quiet, whispering voice and summoned the dark side of the Force. For the first time since her confrontation with Admiral Daala on board the _Knight Hammer_, Callista felt the Force flow through her again, a power that had been given to her at birth and brutally ripped away from her as an adult. She felt like someone who had stumbled across an oasis after having crawled across the Dune Sea for days.

It was exhilarating, exciting...even terrifying.

Callista ignored the fears, ignored the doubts. It was now or never. Once her decision was made, there would be no turning back.

Summoning the Force, Callista used it to boost her strength as she leaped high into the air. Her arms went up, snatching the leftmost flagpole, the one whose remarkable colors had caught her interest earlier. Callista swung her legs forward and performed a backflip, bringing her to the top of the flagpole. She stood with both feet spread apart, maintaining her balance.

Malinse had caught on to what Callista was doing, and she watched as the Dark Jedi executed a series of impressive back handsprings across the temple, until he was directly under the flagpoles. He jumped into the air, grabbed the flagpole on the opposite end of Callista, and pulled the same aerial maneuver she had. Seconds later, he was standing atop the flagpole, his lightsaber ignited.

Callista likewise switched on her weapon. This was going to be it, she realized. This time, they would truly find out who was the greatest warrior.

Ellina’s face flashed in her mind. The girl’s smile, her warmth, her youth...all gone now, thanks to this beast that stood before her.

_I’m sorry, Ellina,_ she thought sadly. _I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him for you. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I wasn’t strong enough to defeat him then. But I am now. I will avenge your death, no matter what the consequences._

_Even if it means falling to the dark side._


	21. Chapter 21

Luke felt no sense of danger from the ghostly figure, only curiosity and – resignation?  He stepped closer again and raised his hands in a gesture of goodwill meant to show that he intended this being no harm.

 

“You seek the crystal,” her voice was soft and silvery, and reminded him, he realized, a little bit of Tionne’s.  The accomplished Jedi historian often spoke in the same musical tones as this being now did.

 

He nodded his affirmation, and a look of relief crossed the being’s face.  “Tell me what I wish to hear, and the crystal shall be yours for the taking,” she floated forward off the altar and glided towards Luke, circling around him with a strange, fluid grace. 

 

He spun around, following her movements, slightly wary of the being, and she laughed, a light, tinkling sound that only further increased his wariness of her.  She reached out her ghostly fingers and lightly, teasingly brushed against his cheeks and trailed her fingers down his arms.  Luke suppressed the shudder that passed through him at the strange, icy sensation and took another step back.

 

The being gave him a look that bordered on a pout not unlike some of the ones he had been witness to in his niece and nephews, then drifted back over to the altar, settling down in a half-hovering, half-sitting position on the broadest part of the tabletop.

 

“Very well,” she sighed.  “If you prefer to make things harder for yourself, that is what will happen.  It could have been easier than this, much easier, you know.”

 

Choarth had warned Luke about this.  Although the furry Guardian hadn’t been able to tell him much, he had told him that this was the Crystal of Knowledge, and each challenge was a representation of its respective crystal.  he had also warned him that some of the crystal guards were sly and crafty – and bored.  Clearly this one fell into the latter category.

 

Luke did nothing, merely stared at the spirit patiently until she let out a huff of indignation and crossed her arms.  “I could have made this a lot more fun than just using brainpower,” she offered one last time, although from the expression on her face, she knew it was a lost cause.  “Oh, very well,” she gave one last pout before jumping off the altar and hovering to the side of it.  “Tell me, now, what is the capital city of the planet Almania?”

 

Luke frowned, slightly thrown off with this sudden switch in thought.  Almania?  What was this, a geography test?  Why did that name sound so familiar, though?  He recalled hearing the planet’s name recently, and he closed his eyes, concentrating on the memory…

 

_The young teenager slowly turned around, not missing any aspect of his new surroundings.  The high ceilings of the main chamber, the way the sunbeams pierced and illuminated the air down to the stone floor, the whispered murmur of some of the Jedi trainees standing in a far corner, curious about the newcomer but too polite to interlope – yet._

_“Thank you, Tionne,” Luke took the file she handed him and briefly read it over before turning to the boy._

_“Welcome to the Jedi Academy, Dolph,” he set the file aside and studied the new Jedi candidate standing before him.  Tionne had encountered the Force-sensitive young man on one of her travels to seek out historical Jedi artifacts, and had offered him the chance to travel to the Jedi Academy._

_Luke could sense the Force potential in the young man, as well as his curiosity.  Curiosity that was masking an underlying level of fear.  “Would you like to sit down?” Luke gestured to one of the low stone benches that surrounded the interior of the chamber, and Dolph nodded his head and gratefully sat down, hands clenched together to hide the trembling of nerves._

_“Dolph, tell me about your world,” Luke said, and the boy flashed him a small, grateful smile.  “Tionne said you come from a planet called Almania.  I’ve never heard of it.”_

_“Most people haven’t,” the boy said softly.  “It’s far out in the Outer Rim.”  He spoke with a soft wistfulness that indicated that, no matter how far away, or how small of a planet, it was home, and that was the most important thing._

 

Almania.  Dolph.  One of the newer recruits at the Academy, Dolph had only been there for a little over a month, but Luke was impressed with the progress the boy was making, although he still battle with feelings of loneliness and homesickness, despite Luke’s best efforts.

 

Luke was sure that the answer to the question had been revealed in one of their conversations.  Talking about his homeworld seemed to make Dolph happy, and Luke, despite all of his years of planet-hopping around the galaxy, still retained his curiosity about new places.

 

One of the main attractions on the planet was a large, domed, governmental type of building.  It was supposed to be some sort of engineering marvel, but right now, Luke wasn’t interested in that detail.  He needed to remember _where_ it was…Stonia.  The answer came to him in a flash, as clear as if Dolph was standing beside him, giving him the answer.

 

_“We’re kind of far from the capital, Stonia, but that’s alright because there’s not much there to see, and too many people.”_

 

The ghost figure was giving him an impatient look, crossing her arms and sighing, tossing her long hair over her shoulder and forward again.  “Did I mention that you do have a time limit?” she said, tossing another pouty look in his direction.

 

“That would have been nice to know ahead of time,” Luke muttered.  “But the answer is Stonia.”

 

“Correct,” the figure looked almost disappointed.  “But this isn’t all about knowing your way around the galaxy.  That would be too easy for a Jedi Master,” her eyes perused him up and down again, and she attempted to blush prettily, but the effect was lost on her faded-out, ghostly skin.

 

“Now we will see how smart you are in the ways of problem solving.  Answer my next question and you will be one step closer to obtaining the crystal.  As I was going to the spaceport of Anasives, I crossed the path of seven wives.  Every wife had seven sacks, every sack had seven cats, every cat had seven pittins,  Pittins, cats, sacks, wives.  How many were going to the spaceport Anasives?”

 

Luke shook his head, the numbers all flying by in his brain.  He didn’t dare ask her to repeat the question, though, and he silently tried to repeat every aspect of the question back to himself.  _Pittins, cats, sacks, wives.  Seven…seven…seven…seven._  No, it seemed too easy to just combine the figures.  There was something in the question…the path.  The question never said _what_ was going to the spaceport except for the path itself.  That was the answer.

 

“One,” he said, and this time, the figure threw a decidedly grumpy look in his direction.

 

“Correct,” she wrinkled her nose.  “You’re smarter than the last one that was down here.  Too bad, because you’re a lot cuter than he was.  You might actually get out of here alive.  But the last question is _much_ harder, of course.”

 

“Of course,” Luke couldn’t refrain from rolling his eyes.  _What’s next, calculating the airspeed velocity of a laden versus an unladen mynock?_  “Before we continue, though, what happens if I fail?  Is the floor going to crack open and cast me into some abyss of eternal peril?”

 

“Now there is an idea,” the spirit said silkily, gliding forward once more and circling around Luke, coming up behind him and putting her ghostly arms around his neck.  “But, no.  You get to spend the rest of your days here, keeping me company.  You will be a good addition to my collection,” she leaned forward and blew an icy breath along his cheek. 

 

Luke couldn’t hold back the shiver this time, and he tried to push her away, but his arms went straight through her ghostly form.  “Well, before you add me to your ‘collection,’ as you so delicately put it, can I at least know your name?”

 

“My name was Jesia Filkes when I was alive,” she said a touch sadly, drawing away from Luke again in a move designed to elicit sympathy, but Luke wasn’t going to fall into her trap.

 

“Not that I don’t appreciate the offer,” he said, “but I wasn’t looking to join the spirit world at this point.  So if I could have the third question now?”

 

“Fine,” Jesia snapped, her pretty features blurring for a moment as she sneered at Luke.  “And you may not have a choice in that offer.  We’ll see how far your brain can really take you.  Now, solve this…

 

I have billions of eyes, yet I live in darkness.  I have million of ears, yet only four lobes.  I have no muscle, yet I control two hemispheres.  What am I?”

 

Luke closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before he realized that she had inadvertently given him the answer during her taunting.  “The human brain,” he said evenly, and stepped back as Jesia let out a mournful scream and dove into the altar, shrieking in agony the whole time.

 

“And we would have been so happy together,” a faint whisper seemed to echo from the altar before its light faded briefly before appearing again in one of the small cubes stacked precariously towards the top of the altar.

 

The light flared, and Luke saw the glass begin to melt, and he jumped forward at the same time the crystal piece came rolling out, and he caught the surprisingly cool crystal in his hand.

 

At the same time he caught it, he felt a shockwave rip through his system and an alarmingly familiar presence caught his attention.

 

Callista.

 

But her presence was overshadowed by the rage and anger she was unleashing by tapping directly into the dark side.  She was fighting, that much Luke could tell.  And winning.  But this was not the way.  His hand tightened around the crystal and he spun around, dashing for the stairs, barely missing barreling over Choarth in his haste to get to the surface.

 

The Chey’In took wing, flapping his wings furiously to keep up with Luke’s hurried strides.  Luke clenched the crystal in his hand as he raced up the stairs, gripping it harder and harder until he felt the warm seep of blood between his fingers, and he realized the sharp edge of the crystal shard had cut into the palm of his hand.

 

But he didn’t stop.  He had to get to Callista and stop her.  Stop her before she hurt herself.

 

***

 

Malinse charged toward her, and Callista responded in kind. The two of them quickly bridged the gap between them, leaping on flagpole after flagpole, moving with a speed, grace, and agility that not even the greatest gymnasts in the galaxy could ever hope to possess. Callista’s vision was red with hate. Hate for this creature that had caused her and Ellina so much pain.

Callista’s lightsaber rose to meet his, a flare of sparks bursting into the air. Tapping into the dark side, she hacked left and right, wildly unleashing her anger. But Malinse was more than a competent fighter, and he easily held his own against her. They continued to fight, their lightsaber illuminating their sweat-drenched faces.

For minutes, they fought on, jabbing, slashing, hacking, kicking, doing everything they could think of. All the while, Callista continued to keep herself steady and focused. One slight misstep, and she would fall to her death. A broken neck wasn’t exactly the most ideal way for a Jedi to die...as she knew all too well.

Barely deflecting a lethal blow to the head that would have split her skull in two had it connected, she delivered a roundhouse kick that struck Malinse in the face. The Dark Jedi staggered, blood running down his nose.

With Callista on the offensive, she began slashing at him, using more finesse this time. Brute force would only serve to deplete her strength. With her arm, she blocked one of Malinse’s powerful kicks and swung a right cross with her fist, which Malinse ducked. When he stood up, he threw one of his own punches, and Callista dodged the incoming blow.

Malinse sprinted forth, and their blades joined once more. He easily blocked her attacks, then threw some of his own. Cursing, Callista dodged one blow to the neck, followed by one to the chest, and two more to the legs. She blocked several more slashes–then lost her grip on the handle as Malinse kicked the lightsaber out of her hand. It sailed back through the air, out of her reach.

“Nice kick,” Callista remarked, then surprised Malinse by launching one of her own, a front snap-kick into Malinse’s face, sending him reeling.

Callista then performed a Force-enhanced backflip that brought her back to the leftmost flagpole. The moment she landed on it, she caught her falling lightsaber. She turned to face Malinse, an uncharacteristic sneer spreading across her face.

By now, Malinse had recovered from her kick, and he soared through the air towards Callista, using the Force to increase his distance. Callista performed the same move, sailing straight for the Dark Jedi. Their lightsabers crossed, producing sparks, and both warriors landed at the opposite ends of the flagpoles.

Callista and Malinse both turned to face each other, and they flew at each other again. Again, their lightsabers crossed paths, and they ended up at polar ends of the row of flagpoles.

Callista offered Malinse a challenging smile, and the Dark Jedi charged toward her, leaping atop each flagpole as he drew closer and closer to his quarry. As she waited for just the right moment, she drew upon the dark side, let it simmer and boil within her, building to a slow but devastating crescendo. The power she felt was unbelievable, like nothing she had ever felt before. With the dark side, she could tear this murderer apart limb from limb. She could do things that she could never do as a regular mortal...or even a Jedi.

Maybe the dark side was stronger after all.

  
She allowed her anger to control her actions. Anger at having failed to protect Ellina. Anger at Malinse having beaten her before and leaving her for dead. Anger at herself for having left Luke for her own selfish, cowardly reasons. Anger at the Force itself for having taken her powers away from her in the first place. And most of all, anger at having had to resort to the darkness just to reestablish her lost connection–

And she unleashed it.

Just as Malinse bore down on her, Callista lifted herself up into the air and launched a series of fast, powerful kicks that struck Malinse in the face, chest, and stomach. Slowly, she drove him back across the poles, pummeling the living bantha crap out of him, until they reached the last of the flagpoles. Then, with a final sidekick to the chest, Callista knocked the Dark Jedi into the air.

What happened next amazed her. As Malinse fell towards the ground, he grabbed a hold of one of the dangling flags, and used the Force to wrap himself around the blanket. Then, like a human yo-yo, he made himself roll back up to the top, the flag wrapping itself around him like a blanket. He twisted in mid-air and landed back on top of the flag pole, the ancient, dust-covered flag still wrapped around him. With a few quick slices of his lightsaber, he tore the flag off him.

Malinse then lunged in, his blade smashing into Callista’s at full force. Callista, with a howl of fury, attacked, putting all her strength behind each swing. Malinse hardly had time to defend himself; he was barely able to hold his own against the enraged Jedi. Callista kept hacking and chopping at him, driving the man back.

Callista then punched Malinse in the face so hard that spittle flew out of his mouth. Her foot came up afterwards, striking him right in the kneecap. The Dark Jedi yelled in pain, then retaliated with a backhand that caught Callista across the face, knocking her against the wall. She steadied herself just in time to keep from falling.

Malinse threw a kick towards her hip, and Callista furiously brought her leg up, deflecting the blow. Malinse growled and kicked at her again, but Callista blocked it with her other leg. At the same time, her other foot came up and hit Malinse hard in the stomach...just as Malinse threw another kick that connected with her sternum.  
Both warriors were sent stumbling backwards from the force of their simultaneous kicks. Callista felt herself fall, and she grabbed at the flagpole just in time, dropping her lightsaber in the process. She saw Malinse do the same. He, too, had lost his lightsaber.

The style of fighting having now changed, Callista made her way over to her opponent, grabbing the flagpoles in front of her like monkey bars. It brought back a long-forgotten memory to her. Her parents had built a small jungle gym set in their background, and Callista had spent much of her free time playing on them. That small, almost ghost-like memory was just enough to banish some of the darkness from her heart, and she began to realize what she was doing–

“_Oof!_” Callista gasped as she felt Malinse’s foot impact her gut. Her breath left her body in a painful rush, and she nearly lost her grip on the flagpole above her.

_You’re really asking for it, aren’t you, Malinse?_ she thought, feeling the anger return.

The two warriors hung from their respective flagpoles and delivered a series of vicious kicks at the other. Callista blocked her attacker’s legs, but her own blows were unsuccessful. Her mind was divided between knocking Malinse to the ground while still maintaining a hold on her own flagpole.

Not a very easy thing to do, even for a Jedi Knight.

  
Callista then noticed an opening Malinse had kindly left for her. Before the Dark Jedi could realize what she was doing and defend himself, Callista kicked both feet hard into his solar plexus. His face tightened with pain, and his skin turned a pale, sickly white as he relearned how to breathe. His right hand lost its grip on the flag pole, but he still held on with his other hand.

Continuing her assault, Callista scissored both her legs into the air and wrapped them around Malinse’s diaphragm, at the same time letting go of her flagpole. She tightened her legs around his body, cutting off the man’s air supply. She watched in grim amusement as Malinse’s face went from white to a bright cherry red as he strained to gasp for air. She then gave Malinse a nasty head-butt to the face, smashing open his nose and lips.

Finally, Malinse lost his grip, and the two warriors plummeted towards the ground. Callista quickly erected a Force shield around herself and braced for impact. It came seconds later, and she felt an avalanche of pain shudder down her body from head to toe. She quickly shook it off and searched around for her lightsaber. Where had it gone?

A shadow loomed over, and she looked up to see Malinse standing with his lightsaber in hand, looking the worse for wear. As he brought the blade down toward her, Callista threw a crouching back-kick into the man’s breastbone, driving him back.

Callista frantically looked around and saw her lightsaber lying in the corner. With a mere thought, it sailed back into her hands, and Callista was back in the fray within seconds.

Malinse reached forth and grabbed his weapon, switching it back on. He looked up as Callista advanced, and for the first time, she saw fear in his eyes. He was afraid of her.

_Good._

Callista bellowed with laughter as she chased after him, filled with a new confidence. As Malinse started to get up, she closed the gap between them, her lightsaber blazing. The Dark Jedi weakly fought back, their blades intersecting over and over again. Callista ducked a slash to the head, then leaped over the blade as it went for her legs. She continued driving him back under a flurry of blows, sweat pouring down her face, her mouth twisted downward in a feral snarl. She fought tirelessly, as if she could continue like this forever. Malinse was able to match her blows, but barely.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of fighting, Callista had had enough. She had her opponent on his last leg; it was time to end this. She stuck her hand out, palm outward, and the Force smashed into Malinse like a battering ram. He was thrown back through the air and collided back into the fountain, completely demolishing it.

And it was over.

Callista strode over to her downed adversary, her heart pounding in her throat. This was it. Now she would deliver the final blow. Ellina’s death would be avenged.

She stood over Malinse, bringing her lightsaber over her head. Malinse was unconscious; pretty soon, it would be permanent.

_Ellina...this is for you._


	22. Chapter 22

Luke reached the top of the stairs just in time to see Callista snatch her lightsaber out of midair and go blade to blade with an auburn-haired opponent that he could only presume was the Dark Jedi Malinse.  Her opponent cut at her head and she ducked away, leaping over the blade as it changed directions and aimed at her legs.

 

He had never seen her fight this way.  Every move was made with furious precision, just barely skating the edge of control, and she looked like some kind of avenging angel as she descended on Malinse with a series of offensive attacks, slowly driving him back with each stroke of her blade.

 

Luke could see the Dark Jedi was holding his own – barely – but he wasn’t having any chance to strike back at Callista.  As Luke watched, she extended her hand and with a powerful Force shove, sent Malinse flying backward into the fountain, where his unconscious body shattered the already crumbling remains before sliding to the ground.

 

The sun-yellow of her topaz blade wavered in front of her eyes as Callista swung her blade upward, and she briefly focused her gaze on the unconscious Dark Jedi that lay crumpled in front of her. 

 

She closed her eyes and gripped her lightsaber, then swung the blade down with all her strength.  The _snap-hiss _of another blade igniting caught her attention, and her swing was stopped in mid-air as a bright green blade came from underneath her and blocked the downward trajectory of her own blade.

 

She automatically pressed towards the resistance, still caught up in the rush of defeating Malinse, and she was taken completely by surprise as her blade was forced upwards and she felt her feet being swept out from under her, knocking her on her back.

 

Before she could react, her lightsaber was ripped from her grasp and she heard the familiar hissing of both blades being shut off.  She took a couple of shaky breaths, trying to reclaim the air that had been forced from her lungs then opened her eyes to find herself staring into the very concerned and angry face of Luke Skywalker.

 

Callista closed her eyes again the memory of what she had done rushing into her mind at the same time all of the built-up adrenaline flowed out of her system, leaving her drained and trembling from the effort of the fight.

 

How could she have done that?  What on earth possessed her to turn to the dark side the way she had?  She had brushed aside millennia of Jedi teachings in one furious moment, consumed with the idea of exacting revenge for the death of her friend.

 

And the worst part was, she had _enjoyed _it.  She had enjoyed feeling that rush of additional power that she had never felt before, even as a Jedi, the ability to overpower and defeat someone without worry if her actions were _right _or not.

 

Deep down, though, the part of her that was firmly and irrepressibly Jedi, was screaming at her, berating her for her lapse in judgment.  But what was far worse was the look she saw in Luke’s eyes.  Anger, concern, betrayal, fear.  Or what she had done.  Of what she could do.

 

She slowly sat up, feeling every single aching bruise and pulled muscle she had acquired during the fight, and she pulled her legs to her chest, dropping her forehead to her knees, overwhelmed by the events of the past week.

 

After a time, she heard Luke kneel down beside her, but she refused to lift her head and look at him.  She couldn’t even begin to imagine what he must be feeling towards her right now, and she knew she deserved every bit of it, if not more.

 

She had betrayed everything behind the Jedi teachings, and worse, she had betrayed him.  Everything he was fighting to bring to the galaxy, she had brushed aside when she had thrown at first punch at Malinse.

 

_A Jedi does not strike first…they act in defense, never aggression…_Her old Master’s words came to the surface of her thoughts, unbidden, and she had to fight to blink back tears.  She had failed him, too.

 

Beside her, Luke sat quietly, his thoughts in just as much turmoil as hers.  He could no longer feel her – she had dropped her connection with the dark side as soon as she fully realized what she was doing – and in a way, he was relieved.  It had been terrifying to feel that darkness within her, corrupting and overshadowing her once-familiar sense, a sense that he could never fully forget, no matter how much time passed.  The connection they had shared on the _Eye of Palpatine _had forged a unforgettable bond between them, strengthened by their Force abilities, and try as hard as he might, Luke could never fully let go of that tiny part that was irrevocably her.  A sense he would recognize anywhere, even shrouded in darkness.

 

She was still shrouded in as much silence as before.

 

He wanted to reach out and help her, but he didn’t know how.  He was afraid every move he made would just send her running again, and, although part of him was admittedly angry with her, he also knew that now was not the time for her to be fleeing on her own.  She would need support to get through this, and he was the best person – the only person –  that could help her.

 

Callista felt a warm wetness trickle down her cheeks, and she realized that her efforts to hold back her tears hadn’t worked.  With a sigh, she stopped fighting it, and without thinking about what she was doing, turned and buried her face in Luke’s shoulder, subconsciously seeking out the comfort she had once found in his arms.

 

Luke experienced a brief moment of inner conflict before wrapping his arms around her shoulders.  This was not the time, or the place, to discuss what had just happened.  He could feel the tension in her beneath his hands – tension that was lending a degree of fragility to her state right now.

 

He didn’t know whether to offer comfort, or berate her for her actions, but he sensed that yelling at her would do no good.   She already knew how wrong she had been – she didn’t need someone further emphasizing that.

 

The part of himself that Luke forced to remain as detached and objective as possible pointed out that all he was doing was avoiding the inevitable discussion that Luke knew would eventually happen – and had been dreading from the moment he had seen Callista face to face again.  He did his best to ignore that part of his inner voice at the moment.  This _really_ wasn’t the time for that conversation.

 

After a time, Callista gradually stopped trembling as much, and Luke relaxed his hold on her.  They looked at each other, but Callista couldn’t hold Luke’s gaze for very long before looking down at the ground again, afraid of what she might see.  She knew he was upset, and he had every right to be.  But what she couldn’t bear was to see sympathy or understanding in his clear blue eyes.  She deserved neither, and she was not going to let him make an exception for her.

 

Luke climbed to his feet, then held out her lightsaber to her.  A peace offering.  A way of saying that he still trusted her.  That action alone nearly made her break down again.  Instead, she reached out with a still-shaky hand and grasped the metal cylinder.  It felt cold beneath her hand, as if the lightsaber itself wanted nothing to do with her, and was trying to detach itself from her ownership.

 

The notion was ridiculous, and she knew it.  But she couldn’t keep from maintaining an almost constant inner-beratement of herself as she stood up and clipped the lightsaber to her belt again before surveying the damage around the temple courtyard.

 

Several of the flags had been ripped from their posts, mostly due to lightsaber strikes being deflected from their intended target.  Malinse had also disposed of one with his yo-yo trick, and that was the one that held her attention now.  It was the same red and black flag she had noticed earlier, a time that now felt as it had been days or weeks ago.

 

She walked over to where it lay on the ground, ripped into two separate pieces.  Of all of the flags, it was the best preserved, colors still vibrant in comparison to the other pieces of cloth.  It was the unique symbols on many of the flags that she looked at now.  She hadn’t noticed it before, but all of the flags bore the same symbol on their lower corner – a four sided star on top of an X, a design vaguely reminiscent of a compass rose..  And that symbol matched the one that was imprinted on the center of the red and black flag. 

 

Callista couldn’t explain why she was drawn to that symbol, or that flag, but it was almost as if something subconscious was nudging her in that direction, and she absently rolled up the fallen flag and stuffed in her pack, not entirely sure why, only knowing that the action felt right.

 

While she was busy with her flag explorations, Luke had taken the opportunity to rummage through his pack and locate a roll of silver engine tape, which he used to bind the wrists and ankles of the unconscious Dark Jedi.  He then contemplated the effort of hauling him all the way back to the ship.

 

“Callista?” he called softly, and she spun around, startled, from where she had been kneeling down, examining another scrap of flag that had fallen.  “We should head back to the ship.”

 

She nodded wordlessly and began walking over his way, throwing an uneasy glance at the bound Dark Jedi.  “Can-” her voice faltered, and she cleared her throat, “-can we find his ship?  There may be clues where he last was…where he found Ellina…I have to know…” her voice trailed off, and she made no attempt to finish her thought.

 

Luke nodded in understanding.  “It can’t be too far from here.  Then we’ll fly back here in the _Righteous _and pick him up.  It’s too far to haul him to entire way.  Then we’ll take him to Coruscant.  Leia will make sure he lives out the rest of his days staring at nothing but duracrete walls.  Maybe even a couple granite slugs.”

 

His attempt at humor had her cracking a faint smile and the look she gave him said that she understood what he was trying to do, but just as quickly, she retreated back behind the mask and façade she had been hiding behind since they had been pushed together again, and she bent down to pick up her pack, once again blocking any chance of an extended gaze, and Luke had to fight to keep from sighing in frustration. 

 

If only she would look at him!  There was so much he could communicate to her just with one look, but she wasn’t giving him that chance.  She was doing a very effective job of building a wall around herself and between them; knowing her way of thinking, to keep from hurting him just as much as herself, but she didn’t seem to realize that she was hurting both of them even more.


	23. Chapter 23

Conversation between them was nonexistent as Luke and Callista trudged back up the hill and slid down the other side again.  Choarth had disappeared into Callista’s pack again once they had gotten within range of the winds, so they couldn’t even count on his furry presence or sarcastic remarks to break the silence.

 

Callista felt as though she were wrapped up in a fog – the events of the past hour seemed like a blur to her, and she felt strangely detached from it all.  The reality of her actions had come crashing down around her, and she still felt numb from it, knowing how far over she had gone.  Her control had skated the edge before – something her old Master had brought to her attention several times – but she had never gone this far before, and it terrified it.  Especially because of how easy it had been.

 

She still couldn’t forget the feeling, the icy-cold tendrils that wrapped around her psyche and allowed her to unleash all of her pent-up anger and frustration.  She let out an audible sigh of frustration, loud enough for Luke to hear, even over the wind.

 

He paused in mid-slide down the hill and turned around, mouthing a brief, “You okay?” in her direction.

 

No, she _wasn’t_ okay.  But this wasn’t the time, so she just shrugged and focused on her feet, determined not to slip and fall the rest of the way down the hill.  At least the wind was decreasing as dusk started to take hold.

 

They eventually made it back to the _Righteous _without incident, and Callista could hear a faint rumbling sound coming from her pack as she stepped inside the main hold.  She opened the top of her pack to find Choarth curled up on top of everything inside, doing his best buzz-saw impression as he snored his way through a nap.  Callista shook her bead, amused, and carefully lifted him out of the pack and setting him on one of the chairs in the hold before moving her pack aside.

 

Luke peered through the open hatchway at the slowly-darkening skies, and had just opened his mouth to comment when he was interrupted by Artoo zooming in from the cockpit, whistling madly.

 

Luke turned around and raised his hands to the droid, trying to interrupt him.  “Hang on, Artoo, I didn’t catch any of that.  Slow down.”

 

The droid warbled impatiently at him, then, with a decidedly sarcastic tone, repeated his previous beeps and whistles.  Callista had trouble catching all of what he was saying – she wasn’t quite as fluent as Luke when it came to interpreting what the droids were saying, and Arseva usually made her meanings very clear.  Artoo finally finished his excited whistling and hooting, which had picked up its frenetic pace again.

 

“We might not need to look to far for Malinse’s ship,” Luke looked up at Callista, his expression unreadable.  “Artoo says that the ship’s scanners picked up another ship come in and land several kilometers south of here, behind one of the other hills.”

 

Callista immediately started for the hatch.

 

Luke caught her arm and stopped her as she was about to exit the ship.  “Callista, wait.  It’s almost dark out.  Shouldn’t we wait until morning?”

 

She furiously shook her head and pulled out of his grip.  “Not if there’s the slightest chance Ellina could be on board that ship.  I owe it to her.  I have to find out.  I just can’t believe she’s dead, Luke, I just can’t.  So I’m going to find that ship, dark out or not.”

 

Luke nodded, seeing the stubborn set to her jaw, and the defiant look in her eyes.  There was no arguing with her when she was like this, which was why he just leaned down and retrieved the pack he had set down before following her back down the ramp, snagging her pack that she had forgotten.

 

Night had fallen now, and Luke pulled another couple of glowbars from his pack, handing one, to Callista along with her pack.  The glowbars cast a faint light around them, enough to see the ground as it rose in a steady incline beneath their feet. 

 

The wind had stopped blowing entirely now, and it was deathly still and quiet.  The grasses were waist-high, now that they weren’t being bent in half by the wind, but that made the going all the more difficult.  The grasses tangled around their feet, threatening to trip them up and send them sliding back down the hill.

 

It was Callista who finally interrupted the silence with a soft, “Thank you,” although she avoided looking at Luke when she said it.

 

He guessed what she meant by it, but he wanted to hear her say it.  “For what?” he asked, careful to keep a neutral expression.

 

A look of annoyance crossed Callista’s face – fleeting, but in the faint light of the glowbars, Luke caught a glimpse of it.  Annoyance at having to put into words the very thing she didn’t want to talk about, and had hoped that the simple thanks would be enough to forestall further discussion of it, at least for the time being.

 

“For-” she sighed, “for stopping me.  Earlier.”

 

“You wouldn’t have done it,” Luke said, then paused.  Did that sound too much like placating her?  It was true, even if she didn’t believe it herself.  Sure enough, she was ready to argue that statement.

 

“Yes, I would have,” her voice was low, with an edge to it that Luke hadn’t heard in a very long time.  “I wasn’t just on the edge of control, I had gone over.  Far over.  And do you know what the worst part was?  The entire time, I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t even try to stop myself.”

 

Luke didn’t know what to say to that.  It wasn’t as though she was one of his students that he could reprimand and try to show them the error of their ways.  And like she said – she knew what she was doing.  What came next was a surprise to him, and he could only blame it on the stress of the last several days finally catching up to him.

 

“Why the hell did you do it then?”  The tone of his voice matched her, shades of anger starting to creep in before he could catch himself.

 

Callista froze in place and slowly turned around, eyes glittering in the glowbar’s light.  “Why did I do it?  Because I didn’t have a choice, that’s why!  It was fight or be killed.”

 

“You always have a choice,” Luke snapped back, unable to stop himself.  She was the last person in the world he expected to hear that excuse from.

 

She had turned away from him again.  “I know,” she whispered, barely audible.  “I was just tired of always fighting that choice.”

 

Her soft words melted through the defenses Luke had put up, and he moved to step closer to her just as she moved forward and crested the top of the hill, and he mentally ground his teeth in frustration.  Things were so complicated between them, and yet she kept managing to resist every attempt to try to talk things out between them.  What was she so afraid of?

 

Down in the valley, at the base of the hill they were standing on, just barely visible in the darkness, was a ship.  A few small running lights were the only thing that made it stand out against the darkness that surrounded it.  It was impossible to determine its shape from their current distance, and even as they got up close to it, Luke was still unable to tell what kind of ship it was.  Its dark hull seemed to absorb the faint light of their glowbars, and he was about to reach out and put a hand on it when he was startled by Callista’s gasp.

 

“This is the 21-CR-J type fighter Bazin was working on,” her eyes were wide with shock.  “I didn’t even think to look for it…and I even warned him about working on it,” she finished miserably, all set for another round of blaming herself when Luke interrupted her.

 

“There’s someone on board,” he said.  “I can feel it – and it’s not the Dark Jedi.”

 

Callista visibly brightened.  “Ellina?” she asked hopefully.

 

“Let’s find out,” Luke crossed to the entry ramp, which had been shut and locked.  Impulsively, he pulled out his lightsaber and slashed through the keypad controls next to it, severing the connection and causing the ramp to slowly lower.

 

Callista dashed inside, throwing an extra glowbar she pulled from her pack into the ship ahead of herself.  The dim light was enough to cast shadows from the interior fixtures of the ship all around the hold.  After spinning around once, Callista looked at Luke.  “You’re positive she’s here?”

 

“I’m not positive it’s her,” he said.  “I just said _someone_ is…here,” he touched a metal panel on the wall, identical to the ones around it save for some smudged fingerprints on the edge.  As Luke touched the corner, he heard the faint _click_ of a lock releasing, and the panel slid off to the side, revealing a tiny compartment in which an unconscious blonde young woman had been hidden.

 

“Ellina!” Callista reached in past Luke and put her fingers against the girl’s next.  She could feel a pulse, strong and steady, although Ellina still remained unconscious.  With Luke’s help, Callista gently extracted her from the tight compartment and laid her down on the floor of the ship, using the light of the glowbars to assess how many injuries the girl had sustained.

 

Surprisingly, Ellina looked as though she were relatively unharmed, although one arm was bandaged and she had a couple of bruises that decorated her forehead and cheekbones.

 

“She’s in some sort of Force-trance,” Luke said, kneeling down beside Callista. 

 

“Malinse,” Callista growled, but Luke shook his head.

 

“No, it doesn’t have the feel of the dark side,” he said.  “I think she sent herself into it.”

 

Callista raised her eyebrows, looking impressed.  “Just based on what I could see of her, I think she’s got a lot of potential.”

 

Luke nodded his agreement, then glanced around the ship.  “I think the easiest thing to do is going to be fly this thing back to the _Righteous_.  It’s too far to carry Ellina comfortably, and I hate to bring her out of the trance.  I think she’s trying to heal herself.”

 

“The 21-CR-J is a fairly easy ship to fly, as long as nobody’s made too many special modifications to it,” Callista said.  “They date back to the pre-Clone Wars era.”

 

“Well, I don’t think we’re going to be going far enough to test it out,” Luke rose to his feet and made his way towards the cockpit.

 

“I’m going to stay with Ellina,” Callista said, already pulling off her outer jacket and placing it beneath the girl’s head for comfort.

 

Callista was right – the ship _was_ easy to fly, and Luke had it airborne and landed beside the _Righteous _in the time it would have taken them to make it halfway up the hill, although by the time he finished going through the guesswork of the shutdown procedures, Callista had already taken Ellina off the ship and settled her in one of the bunks on the _Righteous_.


	24. Chapter 24

Morning hadn’t come fast enough.  With the sun came the first of the winds, whistling through the open hatchway of the _Righteous Indignation_ and gently tugging at Callista’s haphazard curls and tickling across her face as she lay curled up in one of the hold’s  cushioned chairs.

 

She stirred, then slowly opened her eyes, groaning as her sore muscles protested both yesterday’s abuse as well as the unusual sleeping position.  The past week of sleeping in places she wasn’t accustomed to was starting to take its toll, and Callista thought longingly of falling into a soft, cushioned featherbed and sleeping for a week without interruptions.  In her dreams.

 

She gingerly sat up, and automatically glanced over to the bunk Ellina had been laying on, and felt a surge of panic when she saw the girl was no longer there.  Forgetting about her aches, she bolted out of the chair, her stockinged feet slipping on the metal deck surface.  Odd, she didn’t remember pulling her boots off last night.  But exhaustion had finally caught up with her around midnight, and she hadn’t even argued too fiercely when Luke, tired of listening to her yawn a dozen times in a row, insisted that she catch a couple hours of sleep.  She must have yanked her boots off sometime in between that last conversation and when she had sat down in the chair.

 

But her boots were the least of her concerns right now.  She skidded through the hold, frantically searching for Ellina when she heard a familiar laugh coming from outside the ship.  She made her way to the ramp, congratulating herself on not falling on the way, and looked outside.

 

There, in the tall grass surrounding the ship, blonde hair being blown in all directions by the increasing wind, was Ellina, laughing as she watched a small rock rise off the ground a couple of centimeters before tumbling back to the ground and rolling away.

 

“Excellent work, Ellina,” Luke praised, watching as she grinned and bent down to pick up the rock.  “Very good for your first time levitating something.”

 

“But it didn’t go very far,” Ellina protested, looking at the rock that lay in her palm.

 

“That will come later,” Luke said.  “Like everything, using your Force powers will take practice.  Practice and dedication.”  As he was talking, he slowly lifted the rock from Ellina’s palm and sent it in a lazy circle above their heads before letting it settle into her hand again.

 

Ellina nodded seriously, but before she could focus on the rock again, she caught sight of Callista standing at the top of the ramp, and her entire demeanor brightened as she ran towards the ship and up the ramp, flinging her arms around the surprised Callista.

 

“Oh, you’re really okay!  How did you find me?  Where are we, anyway?” the tumble of questions spilled from her mouth in rapid succession, and she finally had to pause to take a breath, which gave Callista a chance to step back and try to recover the air Ellina had squeezed out of her with her bone-crushing hug.  The girl might have been petite, but she clearly didn’t know her own capabilities.  That, and Callista still had some healing of her own to do after all of the events of the past week. 

 

She put her hands on Ellina’s shoulders, looking her up and down a couple times.  Clearly, the young woman did have a natural ability for healing – the bruises on her face were already mostly faded, although she still bore a bandage around her left arm, albeit a neater, cleaner one. 

 

“I’m so glad I found you,” Callista whispered, and pulled Ellina close for another, less bone-crushing hug.  Nothing more needed to be said between them.

 

Luke smiled as he watched from the hatchway.  It was clear that the two women had  formed a close bond very akin to sisterhood.  Already, some of Callista’s tension had disappeared now that she had seen Ellina was safe.  As much as he hated to interrupt their reunion, he didn’t know how much time they had before Malinse regained consciousness and attempted to escape.

 

Granted, the beating Callista had given him rivaled anything Luke had seen up to this point – he doubted Malinse would be getting up and walking away any time soon, and granted, they did have his ship, so he wouldn’t be making an easy escape off the planet, but nevertheless, the sooner they deposited him into the hands of the Republic, the happier Luke would be.

 

By this time, Ellina had stepped back and was carefully unwrapping something she had pulled from her pocket.  Layers of thin fabric fell away to reveal a quick flash of bright blue that reflected the light around it, and Luke realized it was another piece of the crystal, although it was a different color than the piece he had found.  He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out his piece – this one was green, darker than the hue of his lightsaber.

 

He stepped closer to Ellina and Callista, and they place the two crystals side-by-side.  They were identical, except for their color.  Both were roughly triangular in shape, with another triangular shape cut out of the bottom.

 

“I guess this is where they eventually join together,” Callista said, running her finger gently over the rough, sharp surface of the cut end.

 

Luke nodded in agreement.  “The trick will be finding the rest of them.”

 

“Malinse has one,” Callista suddenly remember.  “The first time he attacked me and captured Ellina.  He got the one Choarth was guarding.”

 

Ellina joined in the conversation at this point, nodding in confirmation.  “That’s why I didn’t understand when he couldn’t touch this one,” she indicated the one still in her hand, “because he was able to get a hold of the other one just fine.”

 

“Choarth said the original guarding around his crystal was broken – it used to be in a different place,” Callista said.  “When it was moved, the original protection that surrounded it no longer was applicable.  It was up to him to defend it.”

 

“And I failed,” Choarth, finally awake, fluttered his way over to where they were all clustered and landed at their feet.

 

“What has been done, is done,” Callista said firmly, not allowing the Guardian any time for further self-reproach.  “The important thing now is that we find that crystal.”

 

“But where would he keep it?” Ellina wondered aloud.

 

“I think it’s about time to retrieve him.  If he has it on his person, we’ll be able to find it while he’s still unconscious,” Luke suggested.

 

Callista nodded once.  “You get him in the _Righteous_.  I’m going to search his ship.  He might not have wanted to risk the crystal being damaged, and stashed it in a safe place.”

 

“What about me?” Ellina asked.

 

“Your choice,” Callista shrugged.  “I could use another set of eyes searching the ship.”

 

Ellina nodded, then followed Callista through the hatchway and down the ramp.  She uneasily eyed the Dark Jedi’s ship as they neared it – she did not have pleasant memories of being on board that particular vessel.

 

The hull glinted dully, ominously, as they approached.  Its light-absorbing properties hadn’t changed, and Ellina wondered if it was her imagination that the area immediately around the ship seemed darker.

 

The boarding ramp lowered without protest – after Luke had cut the controls the previous night, the only way to raise or lower it was manually.  Ellina slowly followed Callista up into the ship, not without wondering for a moment if she would have been better off going with Master Skywalker to retrieve the Dark Jedi.

 

Callista had disappeared into the cockpit, where she stood motionless for a while, staring at the array of buttons scattered across the control panels in front of her.  Did one of them open some kind of hidden storage compartment?

 

Callista scoffed at herself.  That kind of thing only appeared in stories and tall tales.  Still…there was something to the cockpit, and she felt she would be remiss if she didn’t  make a concerted effort to search every centimeter of an area that might contain a possible hiding place.  She could hear faint metallic clangs from the other part of the ship – Ellina sounded as though she were being very thorough in her search.

 

Nothing in particular stood out to her in the cockpit.  As she had told Luke, this type of ship hailed from the era just before the Clone Wars – they were notoriously difficult to find anymore, and quite valuable on any market.  Still, that didn’t help her very much with what she was looking for now.

 

With an audible sigh of frustration, Callista slumped down in the pilot’s seat, lightly running her fingers across a panel that was covered in a multitude of vertical lines, most only centimeters apart.  As her fingers passed over one of the gaps, she heard the faintest hiss of escaping air, and part of the panel slid out very slightly.  If she hadn’t had her fingers on it, she would have missed it, but there it was.  A slender compartment, only three or four centimeters wide.

 

She held her breath, not allowing herself to get her hopes up, but wishing, _wishing_ that this was what she had searched for.  She carefully levered the panel out and peered inside it.  She couldn’t see anything in the narrow compartment, but it looked fairly deep, so she carefully turned it over, and watched in amazement as a long, thin spear of yellow crystal rolled out and fell into her outstretched palm.


	25. Chapter 25

It was never truly night on Coruscant.  The endless array of blinking lights and lanes of traffic made sure of that, and with all of the different levels that comprised the city-planet, there was always activity to be found.  Leia sometimes wondered what it would be like if the activity on the planet suddenly ceased, if its inhabitants would even be able to cope with the sudden silence and lack of commotion.  Anyone that lived here for any period of time was accustomed to, and in fact even comfortable, with the unnaturally riotous noise and activity levels.

 

That much was certainly true, she reflected as she stared out across the vast expanse of buildings and lights.  Even late at night, activity levels still ran at close to the same frenetic pace as during the day.  All of the city noises blended together to create a soothing background hum, a noise Leia was completely accustomed to; indeed, the lack of noise was something that she was acutely aware of whenever she was on another planet.

 

A brisk wind swirled up from between buildings and whipped across the top of the landing platform Leia was standing on, tugging at her braided loops of hair that draped over her shoulders.

 

She had come up here to wait for Luke.  The call she had received from her brother had been one of the stranger ones she had gotten from him – he had looked unnaturally tense and distracted, and had asked her to make sure that a secure holding facility was available before informing her he was on his way to Coruscant and then ending the call.

 

Han had listened to her when she had voiced her concerns, but she had a feeling that his attention had been more focused on the impending smashball game later that night – and the bet he and Lando had on it.  Again.

 

A blast of wind plastered her long white dress against her skin, and she took a few steps back against the side of the building for protection as she shielded her face from the bright landing lights of the unfamiliar ship that was setting down in front of her.

 

The ship landed with the clank of metal on metal and a noisy hiss as the pressure hatch released, then all was relatively quiet once again; at least, as quiet as Coruscant ever got.  Leia watched as the entry ramp lowered, revealing three figures standing at the top, backlit with the lights of the ship’s interior.

 

The first figure started down the ramp – Luke.  Leia was still too far away to be able to tell who the others were, though.  But she would recognize her brother anywhere, from any distance.

 

They embraced briefly as Luke came forward, and Leia scrutinized him carefully.  Luke’s expression was showing much more emotion than Leia was used to seeing in him, and his blue eyes were revealing some sort of inner turmoil.  She was about to question him about the confusion and mild distress she could feel emanating from him when the sight of a familiar person stopped her short.

 

Callista.  Leia stared in shock as she watched the lost Jedi step up to Luke’s side and offer a shy, tentative smile.

 

“Hello, Leia,” she said softly.  She looked the same as she had when Leia had last seen her on Nam Chorios, down to the same discontent, slightly haunted look in her eyes.

 

“Callista,” Leia smiled back and stepped forward, reaching out and lightly gripping Callista’s hands.  “It’s good to see you again.”  As she spoke, she glanced back and forth between Callista and Luke, but based on both of their expressions, and the tension she could feel between them, she gathered that their presence here was one of concern, not celebration.

 

During this, she became aware of the presence of another person, a young woman who was standing at the base of the ramp and staring out across the skyline in awe, oblivious to the awkward reunion that was taking place.

 

Ellina stared, wide-eyed, out across the vast expanse of city-planet that spread out in front of her, all sparkling glass, metal and duracrete.  She had never seen such a thing before, and this sight alone was worth everything she had been through on her adventure since leaving home.

 

The constant bustling was overwhelming, though, as was the accompanying noise, which was starting to wear at her, leaving her feeling slightly edgy and strung out, and she turned away, retreating back towards the quiet that was the ship.  As she turned, she saw Callista gesture at her, and she began slowly walking towards the small group.

 

The dark-haired woman looked familiar to Ellina, and as she got closer, she gave a startled gasp.  She might have been from a backwater, Outer Rim planet, but even out there, most people knew the face of Leia Organa Solo, former Chief of State of the New Republic.

 

***

 

After introductions had been made and Malinse was handed off to the Republic’s security personnel, the group made their way back inside, Ellina trailing slightly behind the rest of them as she continued to take in the different sights.

 

Callista noticed Ellina’s awe-struck look and dropped back to walk beside her, leaving Leia free to quiet but persistently question Luke about the events of the past several days.  He did an admirable job of waving off her interrogation efforts, promising to fill her in on the details once they reached the Solo’s apartment.

 

Leia resisted the urge to grind her teeth in frustration.  Her brother could be irritatingly closed-off at times, and she briefly wished that she dared to pry into his mind, just once, but she quickly quashed the thought.  She had more respect for Luke’s privacy than that, although she did have to admit, the thought had appealed to her on more than one occasion.

 

“You could try it,” Luke’s soft voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked over at him to see a faint spark of teasing mischief glimmering in his eyes.

 

She wrinkled her nose at him, but both twins knew that neither of them would try invading the other’s mind without permission, although their connection allowed them to get an idea of what the other was feeling.

 

Leia had a pretty good idea that right now, though, Luke was keeping a tight lockdown on his emotional state – the little she was getting off of him was a jumble of confusion and conflicting emotions.  She couldn’t even imagine what he was actually feeling.  And even through all of that, he was still managing to tease her.  Leia shook her head ruefully.  That was her brother.

 

The entryway to the Solo residence was surprisingly quiet, and Luke glanced questioningly at Leia.  Typically, he would have been swarmed by his niece and nephews before he even made it through the door.  Today, though, they were conspicuously absent.

 

“They have a friend over,” Leia explained in response to Luke’s questioning eyebrow raise.  then, without pause, she turned and whistled – not loudly, but moments later, Luke heard the thundering sound of the kids as they started down the hallway.

 

He watched as all three kids came running into view, and couldn’t hold back a laugh as they all bumped into each other as they skidded to a stop in surprise.  Clearly, Leia hadn’t told them he was coming.

 

The kids let out an excited yell and as one, started running towards him again.  He braced himself, ready for the impact of three whirling dervishes, but to his surprise, they blew past him and focused their attention behind him.  He turned around and laughed at the sight in front of him.  All three kids had wrapped themselves around Callista, practically pinning her against the wall as they hugged her.

 

The look on Callista’s face was priceless, and one Luke would remember for a long time.  She looked stunned, and slightly uncomfortable – clearly, she hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic reception.  But Luke could have told her it was coming.  She had made an impression on the kids, despite the brief time spent around them, and they loved her. 

 

Luke remembered the conversation in his kitchen he had had with them several weeks ago – had it already been that long already? – and he started to have some misgivings.  Had he done the right thing in bringing Callista with him?  Should he have taken her and Ellina to Yavin 4 first, and then come to Coruscant himself?  He wasn’t sure how they would react when they found out Callista wasn’t, in fact, back for good.

 

Come to think of it, he wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to react.  That was one area of discussion they were avoiding, and one area Luke hadn’t allowed himself to think about, either.

 

Callista cast a slightly desperate look in his direction, and, although part of him was curious to see how she would have gotten herself out of it, he pushed that aside and did his best to distract the kids.

 

It was Leia that saved them, though.  She gently cleared her throat, a gesture that the children were obviously accustomed to obeying, as they turned their attention to her.  “Haven’t you forgotten your guest?” she gestured down the hall.

 

“Blaster bolts!” Jacen exclaimed, and spun on his heels, bolting down the hall.  “Sorry, Mom,” he called as he disappeared down the hall.  Anakin, still young enough to not want to be left out of anything his brother did, followed close behind him.

 

Jaina, however, stayed behind, and after she had made sure her brothers were out of sight, walked over to Luke and tugged his hand, pulling him down to her level.  “What are you doing here, Uncle Luke?” she looked at him, brown eyes serious.  “I don’t think you just stopped in to say hi to us, did you?”

 

Luke suppressed a sigh, wondering about the best way to answer the question.  Fortunately, Jacen and Anakin came back at that moment, allowing him to avoid coming up for an answer, at least for now.  Following behind the boys was a young girl that looked to be about the same age as the twins, although she was taller than either of them.

 

“Uncle Luke, this is Tenel Ka.  She’s from _Dathomir_,” Jacen said and Jaina and Anakin nodded in agreement.  Clearly, they were in awe of their friend’s place of residence.  Luke wondered if they would still feel that way if they ever got a chance to actually visit the planet.

 

“Hello, Tenel Ka,” Luke put his hand out, and the young girl took it in a surprisingly firm grip.

 

“Greetings, Master Skywalker,” she said gravely, cool grey eyes staring up at him from under a braided mop of reddish-gold hair.  Her features were familiar to him – indeed, she looked very similar to her mother, Teneniel.  Luke noted that the girl had clearly embraced the Dathomirian part of her heritage, neglecting to mention that she was also the princess and heir to the Hapes Consortium.  Interesting.  The girl was very strong in the Force – he could sense that much right off.

 

The complete lack of anything interesting taking place in the hall had rubbed off on the children, and as soon as introductions had been completed, they took off down the hallway, each trying to best the others for coming up with the most outrageous suggestion for entertainment.

 

“See why we can’t come live on Yavin?” Leia rolled her eyes.  “They really belong in a zoo some days, but Coruscant is the closest thing.  At least around here, they’re usually not heard over the ambient noise.  But now’s your chance for a quiet dinner, while they’re still distracted,” Leia gestured to the kitchen, and the others filed in behind her.

 

***

 

Malinse awoke to mostly darkness, although there was enough illumination from a glowpanel far above his head for him to see he was in some sort of cell.  He was laying on a metal bunk, with only a thin mattress beneath him, and he sneered at it.  He had seen thicker sheets of flimsiplast.

 

He was surrounded on three sides by smooth duracrete, with not one rough chink or seam of weakness he could exploit.  The fourth side was a panel of interwoven metal strips, and he guessed, based on the construction of the rest of the cell, the metal would prove to be nearly-indestructible.  Clearly, they didn’t want him going anywhere.  But they underestimated him.

 

His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he was now able to make out more features of the cell and walls.  The bars of metal were the mobile part of the cell, and he could see a latch on one side.  It looked as though it was operated by an electronic keypad, but that wasn’t what caught his attention.  It was the very ordinary looking hinges.

 

_All this security, and they install standard gate hinges_, he scoffed, and reached out with his mind, ready to flick apart the components of the hinges.  Only nothing happened.  He tried again, but for some reason, he was completely unable to manipulate the objects of his surroundings.  In fact, he himself felt disconnected, as if his head had been stuck underwater and the rest of his body left to flail about.

 

He angrily kicked at the bunk, which didn’t yield to pressure, and he bit back a loud curse as pain radiated through his foot and up his leg.

 

“All that’s going to do is attract attention,” a low voice hissed at him from outside his cell, and he spun around, trying not to hop around on his good leg.  A cloaked figure stood outside his cell, shrouded in darkness.  He couldn’t see any defining features, but the voice sounded as though it was female.  The shape was definitely humanoid, but beyond that, he couldn’t tell.

 

“Your employers are disappointed,” the low voice came again, and Malinse stepped forward, ready to defend himself.  At the sight of the blaster pointed at his chest, his protests died on his lips.

 

“Fortunately for you, _they_ believe in second changes.  _I_ wouldn’t have.  But they believe you still have a purpose.  Which is why they sent me to do _this_,” she reached out with a thin wafer and swiped it over the electronic access panel to the cell.

 

A faint _click _was heard, and a smaller gate within the metal bars swung open.  The figure stepped away from the cell and gestured at Malinse.

 

“Hurry up. I could only knock the guards out, so you don’t have long. Follow the instructions you were given, and you’ll find your ship. It was impounded. I did what I could to make it accessible, even for you.” As she spoke, she passed a thin sheet of flimsiplast to Malinse. As she turned away, she kicked out at a metal cage on the floor, and Malinse heard her grumble under her breath, "Damned ysalamiri," but before he could get a closer look at her, she vanished as quickly and quietly as she had appeared.

He stepped through the open gate cautiously – it could have been a trap for all he knew – but nothing happened. After letting out a cautious sigh, he glanced at the flimsiplast, which showed an escape route, as well as further instructions, most of which he was unable to discern in the dim light. A rustling noise came from the cage at his feet, as did a further dampening feeling around him, and he remembered his savior's muttered words - ysalamiri. Now he understood. They hadn't underestimated him at all. They knew full well he would try to use the Force to escape, and thus blocked his access. He irritably lashed out at the cage, but remembered his sore foot from kicking hte bunk just in time to pull his kick back.

 

Glancing down the darkened hallway first, he gave the map one last look, then stuffed it into a pocket before making his way into the blackness.


	26. Chapter 26

The sparkling crystals looked innocuous enough in the bright light of the Solo’s kitchen, their smooth, faceted sides catching and reflecting glints of light even as they lay motionless on the kitchen table.

 

“It’s hard to imagine something so pretty being capable of being so dangerous,” Leia remarked as she passed her hand over the crystals.  As her hand moved between the crystals and the light, their colors darkened, and suddenly the gems looked much more ominous.

 

_Your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them_.  Luke had said those words to her, as Obi-Wan Kenobi once had to him so many years ago.  She closed her eyes and let her hand pass over the crystals again, and this time, she caught a faint sense of them, a dark, underlying malice, slowly stirring and becoming more aware.

 

Her eyes flew open and she looked uneasily at the crystals.  The yellow one in particular caught her eye – its long, slender shape seemed somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it before, then she realized she had, only in a different color. 

 

Han had given her a pendant that was the exact shape of the crystal, only it was colored a rich, ruby red that burned with an inner fire every time it caught any light.

 

Without a word, Leia stood up and darted out of the kitchen, leaving a very bewildered Luke behind, only to return moments later with something cupped in her hand.  She slowly open her fingers to reveal the yellow crystal’s compliment. 

 

Looking at it now, and knowing what it was capable of, made Leia reassess her opinion of it, and she decided that the color was closer to blood red, rather than the rich ruby she had previous seen is as.

 

Luke carefully took the crystal and held it up side by side with the yellow one.  They were an exact match, except for the endcap that help the red crystal onto its accompanying gold chain.  With little effort, Leia was able to separate the crystal from the chain, and Luke lay the two crystals down on the table next to the other two pieces.

 

Maybe it was just Leia’s imagination, but with a fourth piece added, the crystals seem to brighten in their intensity just slightly, and Leia couldn’t suppress the slight shudder that passed through her petite frame.

 

Luke slowly fingered the latest addition to the crystal collection before turning to Leia.  “Where did it come from?” he asked softly, picking the crystal up and turning it over in his hand.

 

“Han gave it to me, probably about two years ago,” she recalled.  “It was before I resigned as Chief of State.  He had gone to Omegon 9 – some of the Smuggler’s Alliance had picked up some whispers of some threats of uprising in the whole Omegon Sector.  Mara Jade passed the information to me, and Han went out there to see if an official presence might quell the tensions.”

 

She shrugged.  “It turned out to be a bust.  The biggest problem around that sector was the scandals of the royal monarchy.  But while he was there, some street vendor tried to push some cheap replica jewelry off as the real thing – Omegon 9 in particular is known for their exquisite, but highly fragile, jewels.  But apparently retrieving them is a problem.  Their mines are very unstable, so that makes any gem that can be retrieved quite valuable.

 

Luke nodded.  He had heard of the planet, and its mines.  The jewels it produced looked exquisite, but they were very fragile, thus making them unsuitable for use in a lightsaber. 

 

“But this jewel was part of the selection,” Leia gestured to it.  “The seller tried to pass off some outrageous story on Han, about how this jewel had a bloody history, that people had killed for it, it claimed the lives of half a dozen people before it could be brought to the surface.  Han liked the way it looked, though, and he was in the mood for bargaining.”

 

“It looks nothing like the Omegon 9 gems,” Luke observed.  “The real jewels are opaque on the inside, with a transparent layer surrounding them.”

 

“I don’t understand what all this means, Luke,” Leia paced across the kitchen and back to the table.  “You explained to me what the crystal does, and I understand that part.  I understand that it’s bad news.  But what I don’t understand is why you’re involved in it.  Why do you always have to act like the savior of the galaxy, Luke?”

 

Luke opened his mouth to answer, but instead, just heaved a sigh, staring down at the table as he sank into a chair.  He had asked himself that same question, and he realized he didn’t really have an answer for Leia – or for himself.  Not a solid, reasonable answer.

 

“This is about more than just a galaxy-wide search for missing crystal pieces, isn’t it?” Leia asked as she sat down next to Luke, reaching out and lightly placing her hand on top of his.

 

She knew him so well.  Luke knew he didn’t even have to try to explain himself to her – she had probably figured out the depth and implications of the wild bantha chase.  But she wanted to hear him say it, if only to make it more tangible to himself.

 

Luke slowly nodded, and sighed again.  “She came back for a reason,” he whispered, more to himself than anything, and in a tone that suggested that he was trying to convince himself of that fact.

 

“Why did she come back?” he asked, looking up at Leia suddenly, with an intensity blazing in his blue eyes that Leia hadn’t seen for quite some time.  “It’s been three years, three years since we parted, and there hasn’t been one day I haven’t thought about her.  And suddenly, she just shows up at my door again.  What am I supposed to think now?  That she’s going to show up when she’s in a problem she can’t solve for herself,  only to leave again?”

 

Unfortunately, Leia didn’t have answers for him.  “I don’t know, Luke,” she shook her head.  “Haven’t you talked about it?”  The look Luke gave her said it all.  “So you’re just going to ignore the large, purple bantha standing in the room and hope it goes away, is that it?”

 

Luke gave her a confused look, and Leia lightly waved her hand.  “Oh, forget it.  It’s just a phrase I use with the kids, about ignoring something that’s right in their faces.”

 

“I’m not ignoring it,” Luke protested.  “We haven’t really had a lot of extra time to sit around discussing our past.”

 

Leia had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes.  “Luke, you really need to talk to her.  I spent time with her on Nam Chorios, I saw what she was feeling.  I saw how upset she was, and I also saw her reaction to hearing you had come after her.  Something changed after I told her that.  The longer you let this go, the more you’re going to end up hurting each other.”  She stood up and leaned over, lightly kissing the top of his head before ruffling his hair.  “I’m going to go make sure the kids haven’t set fire to anything irreplaceable.”

 

She walked out of the kitchen, pausing at the doorway to give Luke a quiet, encouraging smile, then stepped gracefully down the hall and in the direction where several loud banging and crashing noises had emanated.

 

Luke sat in silence for several moments, contemplating what Leia had said  he knew she had spent time with Callista when they had all been on Nam Chorios, but that was one topic that they had never discussed in detail.  Whether Leia thought the topic was too painful to discuss, or she was waiting for him to bring it up first, he didn’t know.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside the kitchen, and he looked up in time to see Han step into the kitchen.

 

“Leia, you want to explain to me what the babe with the legs is doing out on the balcony…oh, hey Luke,” Han looked around the kitchen only to notice the person he had intended the comment for wasn’t actually there.  “Uh, sorry about that, I was looking for Leia…” he trailed off, looking sheepish.

 

Luke just shook his head, not really listening to Han.  “Forget it,” he shrugged.  “Leia went to go referee the kids before they knocked down any critical support structures.”

 

“Ah,” Han shifted from side to side still looking awkward.  “So, I wasn’t expecting to see you – or anyone else – here.  You and Callista just happen to be in the neighborhood.”

 

“It’s long story,” Luke said wryly.

 

“I’ll just ask Leia,” Han slowly nodded.  He wasn’t Force sensitive, but he knew how to read people, and he could tell this was one time where Luke didn’t want to talk.  At least not to him.

 

Luke looked like he had barely even heard Han; clearly the kid had other things on his mind, and Han would be willing to bet the _Millennium Falcon_ that it had everything to do with the former Jedi woman standing outside on the balcony, looking equally as lost.

 

Their conversation had barely registered with Luke, and after Han turned back around to rummage for something in the refrigerator, Luke slowly stood up and automatically made his way out to towards the balcony, Leia’s words still running through his head.  _The more you’re going to end up hurting each other…_

 

More?  Luke had already been hurt.  Was still hurting.  He thought he had done a good job of burying the past, but his words to Leia had been true, if only subconsciously.  He did still think about Callista every day, or more, every night.  He couldn’t remember a night that had gone by that he hadn’t seen her appear in his dreams in some capacity or another.  Sometimes, it was memories of their time together.  Others, it was in elusive, fleeting images that he had never been able to get a firm grasp of.  Some he thought might have been the future, or one that might have been, and some were terrifying nightmares that he would just as soon forget.  Somehow, those were the ones that managed to stay with him.

 

“Luke?”  Callista’s soft voice startled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up, surprised to see that he had been standing in the doorway to the outer balcony for several minutes without realizing it.

 

He cleared his throat and awkwardly ran a hand through his hair.  This was one conversation that he knew was inevitable, but he hadn’t looked forward to it one bit.  And now that the moment was upon them, he had no idea where to begin.

 

Callista offered him a cautious smile and turned to look over the balcony rail.  “I forgot how noisy it is here,” she said, and it was that idle comment that finally jarred something awake inside Luke.

 

“Stop it, Callista,” he said in a low voice before he could stop himself.  “Just stop it.  How long are we going to keep playing this game?”

 

She looked taken aback at his words, grey eyes widening as she took an automatic step back.  She wanted to protest his words, insist that she didn’t know what he meant, but she couldn’t.  Because she did know exactly what he meant.

 

Luke tightened his grip against the balcony railing ,staring out at the endless skylanes of traffic, as busy at this house as they were at the height of the day.  “What did you expect?  That the past would temporarily cease to exist while we rid the galaxy of one more evil, and then you could just disappear again?”  His voice was still low, with an edge to it Callista had never heard before, and that tone affected her more than if he had been yelling.  She almost wished he would start yelling – at least she could steel herself against that.  But she had no defense against this kind of verbal attack.  And what was worse, she didn’t even want to, because deep down, she knew he was right.  He had every right to be angry, furious with her.

 

“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered, unable to meet his gaze anymore, and she found herself blinking back tears that had risen, unbidden, to her eyes. 

 

“Sorry?”  Luke repeated, briefly closing his eyes.  This wasn’t how he imagined this conversation going, but he was in too far now.  He spun around, facing away from Callista, trying to get a hold of himself before either of them said something they would regret.  It wasn’t enough though, and he didn’t try very hard to hold back his next outburst.

 

“Sorry for what?  Sorry for running away?  Sorry for making me think you were dead?  Sorry that I went halfway across the galaxy trying to chase after you?”  He took a quick breath, but he was on a roll now, and he spun around again, continuing his verbal assault.  “Sorry for getting into trouble again, and then dragging me into it?  Sorry for going over to the dark side when you damn well knew what you were doing?  Sorry for what, Callista?”

 

His railing on her hadn’t been without effect, and he could see a faint flush rising on her cheeks.  “Do you think I asked for all of this, Luke?”  She clenched her fists, fingernails biting into her palms.  “I didn’t ask to lose my Force powers.  Do you think that’s been easy for me?  I came to you because I had no other choice.  Do you think I like being able to admit that, that there’s something I might not be able to handle on my own?  I didn’t do this for me, I did it because someone needed help.  Ellina needed more of a chance than I could give her.”

 

She spun away, frustrated, mostly at herself.  She hadn’t meant what she said, it just acted as a good diversionary shield.  One that Luke saw straight through.

 

“That isn’t the point, is it?” His voice was still low, but it had lost some of the brittle edge from earlier.  “That’s never been the point.  I’m not asking you for anything, Callista, save for one thing.  Just tell me why you gave up on us.”

 

Her shoulders slumped, and Luke knew he was getting closer to the root of their issues.  _I also saw her reaction to hearing you had come after her.  Something changed after I told her that. _ Leia’s words echoed in his mind again, and he didn’t think she meant what she had said in a negative way, either.  _You had come after her…_

 

It made sense, all of a sudden.  Why she had run, why she was so determined to stand on her own.

 

“You don’t trust me, do you, Callista?” he said.  While it might have sounded like a question, it really wasn’t.  That was the heart of the matter, the crux of all of their complicated relationship issues.

 

Her silence gave him all the answer he needed, but the slow nod of her head confirmed it, and it felt like he had just been sucker-punched in the gut.  He had been expecting it, in a way, but having her admit it just made the idea all the more tangible…and all the more painful.

 

That simple, painful admission took more out of him than he imagined it would, and he found he no longer had the heart to continue badgering her.  Instead, he took several cautious steps towards where she was standing, still facing away from him, and slowly reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder.  After standing silent for several moments, all he could do was softly whisper to her, “I’m sorry, Callie.”

 

She still said nothing, but eventually turned around under his hand and faced him again, and he could see the shining tracks of tears streaking down her cheeks.  “And I’m sorry too, Luke,” she whispered back, fists clenched lightly against her sides, as if she were holding herself back from reaching out to him.

 

“I was scared,” she said softly, almost as though she were admitting it to herself.  “I was scared to get too close to someone again.”

 

Luke understood.  The last person she had allowed herself to get close to and love had abandoned her – maybe not intentionally, but she had still been left alone, ultimately to her death.  And she was afraid of the same thing happening if she allowed herself to love someone else that way again.

 

“Come here,” he said softly, gathering her in his arms and letting her head rest against his shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered again, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding tight to him.  “I should have known it wouldn’t be the same.  But I was afraid.  So…so I…” her voice broke slightly, and Luke could tell she was fighting back tears.

 

“So you left before you could get hurt again,” Luke finished for her.

 

She wordlessly nodded, and cleared her throat before continuing.  “But you were different.  I left, I hurt you, and you still came after me.”

 

“I had to, Callie,” he reached up and brushed some of her hair away from her face.  “I love you – I still do.”

 

“I was still afraid of hurting you,” she said.  “What I said is still true.  If I was going to go down, it was going to be me alone.  I wasn’t going to be your downfall.”

 

“Do you really believe that?” Luke asked.  “Callista, look at me.”  He waited until she did so before continuing.  “When I said I loved you, that wasn’t conditional.  I will stand by you through anything, and help you get through anything.  You can’t always do everything by yourself.  Not everyone is going to abandon you.  I promise you I won’t.”

 

“I know that now,” she slowly nodded.  “I didn’t before.  But I had to make the biggest mistake of my life to learn that.  The whole point of why I left was to keep from hurting you, but instead, that’s all I ended up doing.  And for that, all I can say is I’m sorry.”

 

“I know,” Luke nodded before lowering his head to gently kiss her lips.  And she didn’t pull away.  He way not have liked what she had done, but at least he understood it now.  They still had a lot to discuss, but for now, they had just taken a big step in the right direction towards repairing their fractured relationship.


	27. Chapter 27

The discussion on the balcony had done a lot to clear the air and relieve most of the tension between Luke and Callista, and they stood together in companionable silence, having retreated back inside once the outside wind increased in intensity.

 

The crystals were laid out on the table in front of them, bright colors slightly subdued in the now dim light.  Callista finally reached forward and started idly moving the crystals around, arranging them in no particular order.  There was nothing about them that gave further indication of where to find the two remaining hidden crystals.

 

“Does any of this make sense to you?” Callista reached out and fingered the blue crystal piece as she spoke, glancing at Luke out of the corner of her eye.

 

He shook his head in response to her question and picked up the yellow crystal, holding it up to the light.  “This one is almost the same color as your lightsaber,” he commented. slowly twisting it around so that the faceted edges caught the light and reflected it back.  As he was watching it, Luke could have sworn he saw some sort of movement, a brief flash of shadow within the crystal itself, but he passed it off as a trick of the dim lighting.

 

“So far, we have a good representation of lightsaber colors,” Callista said, noting the green, blue, red and yellow pieces.  “I wonder what the others will be.”

 

“Right now, I’m wondering more about where they will be,” Luke placed the crystal back on the table and sat down with a sigh.

 

Callista remained standing, hands braced on the edge of the table as she leaned forward, staring intently at the crystals.  The triangular-shaped green and blue pieces lay at ninety degree angles to each other, and Callista could see the regular cuts on the bottom of the pieces – identical in each.  Did they fit around one central piece?  And were the other two pieces the same?

 

Maybe once all the pieces were put together, it formed a four-sided pattern.  But where did the two long, rod-shaped crystals come in?  She moved both the red and yellow crystals closer to the others, and as she did so, she felt something whisper at the back of her mind.  It distracted her for a moment, but when she focused on the sensation, it vanished.

 

When she glanced back down at the table, she noticed that she had somehow moved the two crystals she was holding together in an ‘X’ pattern, and something clicked in her mind.  “That’s it,” she whispered, gently setting the crystals down on the table again and rummaging through the pockets of her pants, searching for a scrap of flimsiplast she was sure she carried.

 

She made a mental note to herself about apparel with too many pockets occasionally being an inconvenience after the last pocket she searched finally yielded the scrap she was looking for, and she picked up a pen also laying on the table.

 

Luke watched what she was doing curiously, but she had her Don’t-interrupt-me look on her face, so he sat back and waited, knowing she would share her revelation when she was ready.  That didn’t make being patient any easier, though, as he watched her look back and forth from the crystals to her drawing.  Finally, with a few last strokes of the pen, she turned the scrap of flimsiplast in his direction.

 

On it was a rendering of an old-time navigational compass rose, with points that looked similar to the design of the crystals.  Very similar, in fact, to the point that it appeared as through the crystal, once pieced together, was actually a three dimensional representation of a compass rose.

 

“I think I know how to find the other two crystals,” Callista grinned triumphantly.

 

***

 

“So, where did you say we’re going?” Ellina mumbled sleepily as she slid onto one of the bunks on board the _Righteous Indignation_.

 

After Callista’s realization that the crystal looked like a three dimensional compass, she had reasoned that it might truly be one, or rather, each crystal piece would point to a specific direction.  Hopefully to the planet each crystal was located on.

 

There was only one way to test that theory, though, and that was to see if the planets where the pieces they already had were found corresponded to the direct lineup of the compass idea.  And the easiest way to figure that out was to use a three dimensional star chart, like the one back at the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4.  Their destination.

 

Ellina stayed away long enough to take that information in, then promptly fell back asleep as soon as Callista showed her the bunk on board the _Righteous_.  The girl appeared to be able to drop off to sleep whenever and wherever she felt like it, a trait Callista envied slightly.  She herself was still wide awake, even at the late hour, a combination of nerves, adrenaline and far too much coffeine ingested during the past week.

 

“I thought you were going to get some sleep,” Luke gave Callista a slightly accusatory look as she walked into the cockpit and sank into the co-pilot’s seat, propping her head up with her hands as she leaned against the armrest. 

 

“Sleep?  What’s that?”  Callista joked half-heartedly, then sobered and shook her head.  “I can’t really sleep right now.  There’s too much on my mind, and too much happening.  After this is all over, I’ll just sleep for a week.”

 

“If you don’t crash before then,” Luke looked at her skeptically.

 

“That bad, huh?” Callista rolled her eyes in mock-horror.

 

Luke was too much of a gentleman to say anything, but the look in his eyes told her she probably looked as though she had gone with very little sleep for some time – which she had.  Privately, she thought he was probably being generous, and she was glad there wasn’t a mirror anywhere close.

 

“You’re not going to do anyone any favors if you get into trouble because you’re exhausted,” Luke continued, his argument making perfect sense, as much as she hated to admit it.

 

“Fine,” she relented after several moments of silence, and she caught Luke grinning triumphantly, as if he had won a major battle.  “The same applies to you, too,” she countered as she stood up and started out of the cockpit, pausing when Luke reached out and grabbed her hand.

 

“You need it more than I do right now,” he drew her hand up and lightly kissed her fingers, then winked at her and turned his attention to the display panels in front of him.  “Aren’t you going yet?” he teased as he saw her still standing in the entryway.

 

Callista wrinkled her nose at him playfully, then turned and crossed the hold, heading towards the bunks in the rear of the ship.  Despite the fact she had appeared to give in to Luke – and she always did have a hard saying no to him, especially when he had that look of calculated innocence – there was no way she was going to sleep now.  No, she would keep seeing the teasing sparkle of his eyes in her mind for the next few hours.

 

As she was contemplating what she could do to occupy her mind for the next couple of hours, she caught sight of a lightsaber training remote laying off to the side in the main hold.  She briefly wondered how it had gotten there, and figured that it must have been something Luke had in his belongings.  She wasn’t quite sure how it had made its way out to the hold, but in her experience, she had found that training remotes had an uncanny way of showing up in unlikely places when they were needed, and she automatically reached for it and switched it on.

 

The sphere hummed to life, making a couple circuits around her head before zipping to the top of the hold and hovering, as if it were sizing her up.

 

Callista’s lightsaber sprang to life in her hand, and the soft humming of the blade wiped out all other thoughts from her mind as she focused on the now rapidly darting remote.  The lightsaber blade seemed to be the signal for it to begin its frenetic zipping and dodging routine, and Callista found herself getting slightly dizzy as she watched it.

 

_Focus.  Breathe._  A soft voice seemed to whisper inside Callista’s head, crystallizing her focus until she shut out everything around her and stilled her movements, waiting for the remote to make its first move.  And it did.

 

Her lightsaber blade automatically moved up to block the little beam of light aimed at her face.  The training remote wouldn’t cause too much damage, but she had been hit enough times to know that the beams of light still stung quite a bit.

 

The next two bolts shot out in rapid succession, and Callista lunged to the side to avoid the first one, and brought her lightsaber around to deflect the next one.  The bolt sheared off the energy beam with a resounding _snap_, and Callista allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction before she tightened her grip on her lightsaber and narrowed her eyes at the remote, waiting for its next move.

 

The remote took a sharp downward dive, and Callista tracked it, tracing its path with her lightsaber blade until the remote zipped forward and circled around her head.  She half-expected it when she felt the stinging zap of the remote catch her below the shoulder – she had lost count of how many times she had been caught slightly off-guard by that same move, and she chastised herself for once again allowing it to happen.

 

But the hit had shaken her concentration, and she found herself on the defensive now, movements jerkier and abrupt, rather than the smooth, uninterrupted lines she had managed at the beginning.

 

It was always this way now.  Every practice followed this same pattern.  She would start the session beautifully, but after the first, unexpected blast from the remote, she could feel herself start to fall apart.  A few stray, sweaty curls fell in her eyes, and in the brief second she took to raise her hand and push them out of the way, the remote fired again, and she instinctively dropped to her knees, narrowly avoiding the bolts the remote spat at her, and shut off her lightsaber, watching as the remote froze then dully thumped to the floor.

 

She wasn’t sure how long she stayed on the ground, crouched back against her heels, lightsaber hilt clenched lightly in her fist, but she gradually became aware of someone else in the hold with her.  Luke.

 

Of course.  She wondered how long he had been watching her, and realized he had probably come into the hold as soon as he heard the sound of her lightsaber igniting.  She was ready to offer some sort of diversionary comment, but before she could, Luke had crossed the hold and knelt down next to her, wrapping his arms around her, and she automatically leaned into his embrace.

 

“When are you going to stop punishing yourself?” Luke whispered in her ear, bringing one hand up to stroke her sweat-damp curls.

 

Callista ducked her head against his shoulder and sighed.  Suddenly, she felt completely overwhelmed by everything that had happened, and not just in the last week.  Hot tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks before she could stop them.  She brought a hand up to wipe them away, angry at herself for losing control, but before she could, Luke caught her hand and pulled her closer to him, giving her silent permission to release the stress, tension and emotion she had built up.

 

Callista lost track of how much time she spent softly crying.  She tried several times to regain some semblance of control over herself, but it was as though a dam had been released inside her, and it wasn’t going to stop until she had rid herself of her emotional anguish.

 

Her eyes felt swollen and scratchy by the time her tears slowed, then stopped, and for a while, she didn’t say anything, just focused on stilling the slight shaking she could feel in her shoulders.  She didn’t look up at Luke just yet, slightly apprehensive about his reaction.  It had been a long time since she had broken down that way, but she still vividly remembered it. 

 

Four years ago, she had watched some of Luke’s students go through a particularly intense training exercise; after they had all finished it and left, she had attempted it.  Luke had found her later that evening in the far recesses of the library archives, and she had spent a long night crying in his arms, her frustration levels having finally reached their peak before crashing down around her.

 

This time, it was so much more than that.  The frustration was still there, but this time it was directed at herself.  For allowing the twisted, Dark Jedi scum to goad her into crossing that line to the dark side.  Mostly, though, for allowing her fears and uncertainties to keep her away from the man she loved for the last three years.  That was time that could have been spent together, wasted because she had been too damn scared to let someone get close to her.  Someone she considered her soulmate, but still hadn’t been able to trust.

 

_Never again_, she promised herself.  She had given him every reason to give up on her, soulmates or not, but he was still there for her.  She deserved far worse than their discussion on the balcony, she knew that much.  What she deserved was to lose the love of her life she had run from, but instead, incredibly, she was being offered yet another chance.  She had the sense of something whispering to her that this was her last chance, though, and if she didn’t take it, than she deserved everything she had been dealt.

 

Callista realized how exhausted she suddenly was, and she wobbled slightly as she got to her feet, completely drained of energy.

 

“Now will you sleep?” Luke asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and directing her towards the rear of the ship, and the bunks.

 

She nodded wordlessly as she collapsed onto the other bunk, taking a brief moment to glance over at Ellina, who was still sleeping soundly.  “Thank you,” she whispered, reaching up and lacing her fingers behind Luke’s neck, pulling him down to kiss him.

 

“For what?” Luke asked after she had released her hold on him.

 

“Everything,” Callista said simply, snuggling deep into the surprisingly fluffy pillow and tugging a blanket up around her legs.  The look she gave Luke was a silent plea for him to understand what she meant, and to not make her verbalize the gamut of emotions he had just witnessed her go through.

 

He understood, and responded with a soft kiss against her forehead before turning and heading back towards the cockpit.

 

“I love you, Luke,” Callista softly whispered just before he exited, but by the time he turned around, she had already fallen asleep.

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

Yavin 4 looked decidedly unchanged from Luke’s perspective as the _Righteous Indignation_ broke through the thick fog layer that covered the atmosphere that morning.  It was ironic – his life had just been through one of the greatest upheavals he had experienced, and yet, nothing else around him looked any different.

 

He was still having a tough time grasping the thought that Callista really was back for good this time, and he had had to physically stop himself several times from walking back to the bunks and making sure she really was still there.

 

The touch of her hand on his arm was still a reassuring sign, though, when she finally made her way up to the cockpit, looking more rested than she had the previous day.

 

“You okay?” he looked at her slightly troubled expression as she sat down beside him. 

 

“I’m fine,” she said, a bit too quickly, although she did a good job of schooling her features into a calmer façade, he could still see some turmoil lurking in the depths of her eyes.

 

Luke’s skeptical look said he didn’t believe her, but she knew her quick response wouldn’t have fooled him anyway.  He knew her too well.  “I just had a strange dream,” she finally admitted.  “I have a feeling it has to do with this whole crystal thing, but I don’t understand it.”

 

“Want to talk about it?”

 

Callista smiled at the offer.  “Maybe later,” she said, then sat in silence as she watched Luke maneuver the _Righteous Indignation_ down onto the area of cleared jungle that served as a landing pad for the Jedi academy.

 

“It looks like Kyp is back already,” Luke said, noticing the younger Jedi’s personal ship, the _Frostfire_, sitting outside the hangar bay.  “That was fast,” he thought out loud.

 

“I sent him and his apprentice to the Outer Rim to check out some rumors Leia passed on to me.  There’s been quite a few systems along the whole Rim that have been having a lot of local disputes, even more than what’s normal for the region,” Luke explained off of Callista’s puzzled look.  “I just didn’t expect them to be back so quickly,” he furrowed his brow, and Callista could see the worried expression in his eyes.

 

“You go ahead,” she offered.  “I can get Ellina settled in.  Besides, I know the shutdown procedures of the _Righteous_ better than you do,” she finished with a cheeky grin, her light teasing enough to snap Luke out of some of the sudden anxiety he felt.  Kyp should _not_ have been back this soon.

 

“Thank you,” he gave her a grateful smile, then impulsively leaned over and kissed her before exiting the cockpit and hurrying over to the entrance of the Great Temple, hoping that his worries were unfounded, but knowing something had probably gone wrong.

 

***

 

Back on board the _Righteous Indignation_, Ellina stood in the open hatchway, staring in awe at the massive, ancient temples and the dense jungle that surrounded them.  “Wow,” she whispered, blinking as she tried to take everything in at once.

 

“You haven’t gotten out much, have you?” Callista commented as she came up behind the younger girl, amused by Ellina’s reactions to new sights.

 

“Before all of this happened, the farthest I had been was the opposite side of my planet,” Ellina replied dryly.  “And that was even more boring than my home.”

 

“A Jedi’s life isn’t all about adventure and excitement,” Callista gently admonished, glancing at Ellina until she made sure the girl looked properly chagrined.  “Ellina, I want you to stop and think about this now.  You need to be sure this is what you want to do with your life.  Being a Jedi is a serious commitment, a commitment of your life, and not something to be stopped or started on a whim.”

 

“I know,” Ellina slowly nodded, looking serious once more.  “Master Skywalker explained it all to me earlier, and I know this is what I want to do.  I’ve finally found my purpose in life, and this is it.  I just know it.  But does that mean I can’t at least look forward to going out and seeing the galaxy?” she smiled again, but inside, she experienced a minor flash of guilt.  She had responsibilities at home, she had no business abandoning her past life on a whim…but she pushed those thoughts away.  Cerina was better suited than she was, anyway.  And she’d be able to help her planet a lot more in the capacity of a Jedi Knight.

 

“Oh, I can promise you’ll see a lot,” Callista put her arm around Ellina’s shoulders and steered her out of the ship.  “Come on, let’s go see if we can find you some space for yourself around here.”

 

Ellina marveled at the design of the ancient temple as they approached it, and the part of her that was still fascinated with archaeology immediately started analyzing it.

 

“Ellina, you’ll have plenty of time to sit and stare at the buildings in the future,” Callista struggled not to laugh as Ellina once again adopted her stare of awe and amazement.

 

Ellina grinned sheepishly, then followed Callista inside the temple.  It was cool and slightly drafty inside, and some of the windowless halls were dark, but Ellina found the place comforting and peaceful. 

 

Callista paused in front of an open doorway at the far end of the hall, and lightly tapped on the edge of the doorframe.

 

“Please come in,” Ellina heard a light, musical voice say from inside the room, and Callista gestured for Ellina to follow her.  The speaker inside the room was a petite woman with long, silver hair and curious, mother-of-pearl eyes.

 

“Callista, you’re back,” Tionne smiled warmly.  “Luke said you were bringing a new student back with you.”

 

“Yes,” Callista nodded.  “Tionne, this is Ellina.  She’s already had a bit of a wild introduction to Jedi life.  Ellina, this is Tionne.  She teaches here at the academy, and acts as an administrative figure.”

 

“Paperwork isn’t really Master Skywalker’s area of expertise,” Tionne explained to Ellina, the smile on her face suggesting at a long-standing joke.

 

“I never would have guessed,” Callista muttered under her breath and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

 

“Ellina, why don’t you come with me, and we’ll find you a room and you can meet some of the other trainees,” Tionne stood up from behind the desk she was sitting at, pushing aside the thick record book she had been examining.

 

Ellina smiled, suddenly a bit nervous about the whole idea, but the reassuring sense was still there, and after a brief nod and good luck smile from Callista, she followed Tionne out the door.

 

***

 

In the years he had known Kyp Durron, Luke had seen many expressions on the face of the younger Jedi, but up to this point, he had never seen such a look of anguish mixed with anger and frustration as Kyp wore now as he paced across the large, open area that served as the sitting area for the academy’s medcenter.

 

He looked up, his green eyes flashing as Luke entered the room, then sank miserably into one of the chairs that had been haphazardly placed around the room.  “It should have been me that got hurt,” he muttered.  “She’s just a kid, it shouldn’t have been her.”

 

“Kyp, what happened?” Luke looked the dark haired young man over, noting several bruises and cuts that decorated his jawline, and several jagged tears in his jumpsuit, with ragged burned edges that looked as though they might have come from blaster fire.

 

“We got in the middle of a firefight,” Kyp slowly shook his head.  “Apparently things on Nhazsden heated up faster than expected, and they didn’t appreciate the interference.”  He scowled as he remembered the firefight in the middle of the streets, errant blaster fire shattering windows and raining glass down on them.

 

“We were trying to get back to the _Frostfire_, and Gynia was behind me.  And someone shot at us.  They were behind us.  I should have been paying more attention, should have focused on our surroundings.  She’s my apprentice, my responsibility,” Kyp shoved his fingers through his hair, anger at himself showing through.

 

“She’s just a kid,” Kyp jumped to his feet and began pacing again, his anger barely simmering below the surface.  “_She_ hasn’t done anything wrong, she shouldn’t be the one that got hurt.”

 

“How bad?” Luke asked quietly.  It wouldn’t do any good to offer platitudes or comfort to Kyp, not with the state he was in.

 

“She was shot in the back,” Kyp stood still for a moment, only to resume his frenetic pacing once more.  “A couple times, and one hit close to her spine.  Cilghal doesn’t know how bad it is yet.”

 

“Keep me updated,” Luke nodded, and turned to leave when Kyp spoke again.

 

“Tionne told me what you were doing.  Were you successful?”

 

Luke sighed.  “Considering we’re only partway done, yes.  But we still ended up with more questions than answers.”

 

***

 

Callista stood in the center of the darkened room that served as a projection area, surrounded by a holo-map of the galaxy.  It had been years since she had looked at such a map, and it was taking her several minutes to re-orient herself.  The multi-dimensional perspective was quite a bit different from the perspective of a navicomp or computer screen.

 

She finally thought she had her bearing, though, and was able to readily locate Coruscant – the navigational center of the galaxy, and, she hoped, the center of her theory about the crystals.  There was only one way to tell, though.

 

She held up a small device, modeled after a compass, but designed to work in conjunction with a projected map to determine true navigational direction points.  With it, she would be able to determine the exact directional lines from Coruscant, and hopefully pinpoint the planets the other crystals were on.

 

She flipped a switch, and the device hovered around the glowing dot that was Coruscant, spinning in several directions to orient itself before stopping and sending out small beams of light in the cardinal navigational directions.

 

Callista visually followed the lines, and sure enough, each line directly bisected a planet.  The first part of her theory was correct, at least, and each navigational line only had one planet directly in its path.  Now for the next step.

 

She compared the planets to a map she had clenched in her hand, half holding her breath.  They were so close…she would have preferred to just pry to answers out of Choarth, but the furry Guardian was being stubbornly closed-mouthed and refused to give them any further information until they solved the puzzle on their own.

 

_I wonder how much he actually  wants to help us,_ Callista pondered the thought as she compared the planet names to those they had found the crystals on.

 

_Velez_.  Her nearly catastrophic duel with Malinse, and the crystal Luke had found.

 

_Shelles Zeta_.  The boulder-strewn planet that Ellina had told her about when she gave her the crystal she had found.

 

That was two down.  But the red and yellow crystals didn’t fit into the cardinal directions.  Still, two of the crystals they had matched up, and those were good enough odds that she was willing to bet the other crystals would be found on the other two planets – Illusia and Hakaeun.  Both were planets she had never heard of.  That was normal – both were in the Outer Rim, an area of the galaxy which was filled with planets and systems no one had ever heard of.

 

It was time to track down Luke and let him know what she had found.  But first, she was going to do some research on these unknown planets, and find out exactly what they were getting into.


	29. Chapter 29

“Where did you say we’re going?” Luke turned to look at Callista, having missed half of what she said while he was rummaging through the inside of one of the cabinets that lined the walls of this particular room.

 

“Illusia,” Callista said, letting just a hint of good-natured impatience creep into her voice.  “In the Outer Rim.  Well, almost beyond the Outer Rim.”  She had explained what she had found to him, but she hadn’t counted on his multi-tasking efforts as she was trying to sum up her discoveries.  “What are you looking for, anyway?”

 

“Oh, one of the toys we brought back from Belsavis,” Luke crawled the rest of the way out from the cabinet.  “The students really enjoy using them, but they never put them back where they got them.  Especially those mind mazes.  I have the hardest time keeping track of those.”

 

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Callista said.  “It would be pretty tough for most of the students to do any real damage with them, and it’s a good learning tool for them to test their limits on, without the supervision of a teacher.  Experience is often one of the best teachers.”

 

She was right, Luke knew.  It was just tough, knowing when to give a student more freedom to explore their abilities, and when they still needed to be taught control and limitations. 

 

“So, what exactly are we getting into on this far reaches of the Outer Rim planet?” Luke stood up and began replacing some of the toys that he had just uncovered.  He was amazed at what his students could get into while he was gone, and how thorough a job they did at reorganizing the classrooms and storage spaces.

 

“It’s the Outer Rim, so we’re not exactly going to a tropical paradise,” Callista said as she moved beside him and picked up one of the toys, a glass-encased sphere of swirling fog that could be twisted and manipulated using the Force.  She lightly ran her fingers over the smooth glass, a faraway look in her eyes as she watched the fog move, unchanging, through the sphere.

 

“Some Jedi could even phase-change the fog, or compress in into clouds that would form a mini-rainstorm,” she placed the sphere back on one of the upper shelves.

 

“Could you?” Luke seemed hesitant in asking the question, afraid to bring up the painful topic of her past abilities, but at the same time, insatiably curious about anything pertaining to the Jedi Order of the Old Republic.

 

“I managed it a couple times,” she said, surprising him by taking the sphere off the shelf again and handing it to him.  “My clouds never did anything more than mist, though.  A couple of the Masters were rumored to have the ability to summon enough energy out of the inner atmosphere to even create a few lightning bolts.  Not that you’d want to be holding it in your hands when you did that,” she said with a faint smile.  “It’s really not difficult – most people just don’t know the spheres could be manipulated in quite that way.  My own Master didn’t even realize it until one of his students, one with an innate talent for understanding and feeling weather patterns, accidentally changed the fog to clouds.  After that, he spent hours in his own quarters, trying to discover all the secrets these spheres could do.”

 

She had a wistful smile on her face as she recounted the days of her own training, and the delight in sharing the knowledge that she still possessed with someone else.  “Try it,” she gently urged Luke, and he focused his attention on the sphere in his hands.

 

He had manipulated the fog around inside the sphere hundreds of times before, as demonstrations to students, but he too was one of those that had never realized the sphere had greater abilities than its appearance suggested.

 

Luke focused inward, feeling the fog as it slowly changed shape, molecules bonding together, gathering in a swirling mass at the top of the sphere.  He could feel a slight increase in energy within the sphere, and he abruptly broke his mental connection to the sphere, remembering Callista’s words about the lighting bolts some Masters had created.

 

He glanced over at Callista, trying to gauge her reaction.  She had a curious look on her face – some sadness, as though she were remembering what she used to be able to do, mixed with amusement over his reaction to the sphere.  “Thank you for not electrocuting yourself,” she finally said, a smile on her face.

 

He gave her a look, something between exasperation and bemusement, but wasn’t going to give her further ammunition by commenting as he carefully placed the sphere back on the shelf.

 

“Might not share that little trick with some of the students quite yet,” he finally said, eliciting a soft snort of derision from Callista.

 

“Give them enough time, and they’ll figure it out,” she rolled her eyes and glanced over the now-organized shelves.  “Come on, we’ve got some extreme Outer Rim planets to pay a visit to.”

 

***

 

The high-priority beeping of the holophone awoke Leia from what had been a deep, dreamless sleep.  She sat up, confused for a moment at the source of the noise.  It had been a long time since she had heard the priority summons – since her days as Chief of State of the New Republic.  Now, even serving as part of the Chief of State’s Advisory Council in her role as a Jedi Knight, the urgent, late-night calls had been blessedly few and far between.

 

She rubbed her eyes before slipping out of bed and pulling a dressing gown over her long, white nightgown before sitting down in front of the comm unit and keying in her private identification.  She didn’t recognize the origin identification off the top of her head, only that it’s source was Coruscant, and she wondered who would have priority access to her at this late hour.  She was about to get her answer.

 

“I’m sorry to disturb you so late, Advisor Organa Solo,” the abrupt tone of New Republic Intelligence Director Sirine Linsey greeted Leia as she answered the comm, “but I thought you should know, the prisoner that we were holding for the Jedi has escaped.”

 

***

 

“One of the guards discovered it less than an hour ago,” Sirine Linsey stood in front of the large glass window in her office that overlooked the Coruscant skyscape.  The short, petite blonde was motionless, facing the window, but she managed to radiate a sense of purpose and action just standing still.

 

Linsey appeared to be too young to be the Director of the New Republic Intelligence, but Leia knew that the woman was, in fact, several decades older than herself, and that her appearance was due in part to her species, the incredibly long-lived Estemereans, a species that could pass for human save for their long life spans.

 

“When did this happen?” Leia sat in a chair across from the Director’s desk, falling back on her Jedi training to calm her mind and organize her thoughts, while her years of serving as a politician kept her features composed in a smooth, calm façade.

 

“We’re not sure,” Linsey’s tone was as abrupt as it had been over the comm, but Leia knew from previously working with the other woman, that was the way she always spoke, as a way to keep people from detecting her emotions or intentions.  But Leia could detect a strained undercurrent just beneath the surface, and she knew that the situation had Linsey more upset than she had ever seen the Estemerean.

 

“Someone reprogrammed the security cams with a loop feed that showed the prisoner safely in his cell.  It wasn’t until two of the guards missed their check-ins that we were alerted to something being amiss.”

 

“What about the ysalamiri?” Leia asked.  “There was a cage of them outside his cell.  He couldn’t have used the Force to escape.”

 

“No, we examined the cell.  There was no sign on a break in or forced entry.  The cells are controlled by access cards, but the memory of the reader on his cell has been wiped.”

 

Leia took her time processing this information.  She had a sense of the direction this conversation was heading, but she fervently hoped it was a worst-case scenario she was imagining.  “And the guards?” she asked carefully, recalling Linsey’s mention of the missed check-ins.

 

“We found one,” Linsey said curtly.  “Dead, his throat was cut.”

 

Leia briefly flinched.  “And the second?”

 

“Gone,” Linsey’s blonde hair, initially pulled back in a severe twist, was slowly unraveling itself, a clear sign the Estemerean was under stress, as their hair had the ability to shape itself according to each individual’s mood.

 

“Gone, along with the prisoner,” Linsey continued.  “All of the security cams surrounding the area had been hacked and reprogrammed.”

 

“And inside job, then,” Leia said, wishing she didn’t have to be the one to bring it up.

 

“That’s what it’s looking like,” Linsey nodded.  “And I don’t know if it stops at the missing guard or not.  Everything pertaining to this is being classified with the highest security levels possible.”

 

“It wasn’t before?” Leia was shocked.  She had been there when Luke received assurances that the information of the presence of the Dark Jedi being kept prisoner on Coruscant was being held in strict confidence within the NRI.

 

Linsey’s face darkened.  “Unfortunately not.  It was high security, but still in the process of undergoing Top Secret classification.”  She paused, and took a breath before looking at Leia.  “This hasn’t gotten out yet, but NRI has been experiencing a breakdown in the past few weeks.  The Alpha Blue team has lost several good agents just in the last week, and frankly, we’re been scrambling.”

 

This batch of news rocked Leia to her core – it all seemed like too much to be a coincidence.  Luke had once mentioned that the more he saw, the less he believed in coincidence, and Leia was inclined to agree with him.

 

It all seemed too clean, too well planned out.  Someone on the inside of the NRI has allowed Malinse to escape, that much was certain.  But how did that tie in with failed missions and agents being killed, other than one serving as a distraction for the other?  And even that could go either way, so it was unclear as to what the true objective was.

 

 

As much as she hated to say it, she was getting a bad feeling about the situation, but she wasn’t quite ready to share her insights with Sirine Linsey just yet.  The woman was one of the more effective Directors the NRI had seen to date, but there was something about her that made Leia hesitate to reveal her suspicions and theories just yet.

 

“Who else knows about this?” Leia finally asked. 

 

“Myself, the Chief of State, and his Advisory Council.  You were the only one of the four on the Council within accessible range, though,” Linsey finally released her rigid stance and sank into the chair behind her desk.  “The other three have been informed, but aside from you, only Katrine Mancs is onplanet right now.  She will be here shortly for me to discuss this with me.”

 

Leia recognized the subtle dismal when she heard it, which was fine with her.  She had never gotten along as well with Katrine Mancs, the Cathar female and newest member of the Advisory Board.

 

Besides, she needed to get this information to Luke, and fast.  The first thing Malinse was sure to do now that he was free was to go after the remaining crystals – and those that possessed the crystals already retrieved.


	30. Chapter 30

A lightsaber was the mark of a Jedi.  Even growing up in the Outer Rim, a fair distance from the hub of galactic activity, Ellina knew what the Jedi and their instantly recognizable energy blades were.  She just never imagined that she would some day be wielding one herself.

 

The hilt of the practice saber felt strange in her hands, and she alternated between gripping it and wiping her sweaty palms against the sides of her pants.  She felt inexplicably nervous, despite Callista’s reassurances that the remote was set on a low setting, and the practice sabers didn’t do anywhere near the kind of damage that a real lightsaber did.  Still…

 

Ellina gulped when Callista nodded to her, and carefully thumbed her practice saber on.  The glowing, light blue blade hummed softly in front of her face, and she slowly waved it back and forth, listening to the blade as it resonated with the movement.

 

“Ready?” Callista asked from her perch on the table in the center of the training room, and at Ellina’s slight nod, activated the remote she held in her hand and released it to start circling around Ellina.

 

Ellina spun around, trying to follow the remote’s movement, and she reflexively closed her eyes and ducked as the remote shot several laser bolts at her.  She had just breathed a sigh of relief and opened her eyes when she heard the faintest _whirring_ sounds behind her, and felt a stinging pain on her backside.  She jumped up with a yelp, and spun around when she heard Callista’s soft snort of suppressed laughter.

 

“Ducking usually works best when you have some cover around you,” Callista observed.  “Now, focus on the remote.  Use all of your sense.  Don’t waste your energy spinning around to watch it.  Learn to listen for it as well.”

 

“I’ll try,” Ellina said, unconvinced.

 

Callista raised an eyebrow.  “You’re lucky that Luke isn’t here.  As it is, I’ll give you the abbreviated version of the lecture he’d give you, and that is to say, do or do not.  There is no try.”

 

Ellina furrowed her brow and nodded, casting a determined look at the hovering remote, then brought her lightsaber up again, clenching her jaw as the remote started circling again.

 

This time, she was more ready when it fired, and she swung her blade in a clumsy arc, deflecting the bolt away from her.  “I got it,” she joyfully exclaimed, but her celebration was cut short when the sting of another bolt caught her across her arm, and she yelped again.

 

She glared at the remote, her blue eyes darkening as her glee faded and she steeled her concentration once more.  When the next couple bolts came, she deflected them, but the movement felt choppy and forced, and she finally let out a sigh before switching off her saber and turning to Callista.

 

“What am I doing wrong?” she asked, watching as the remote paused in its frenetic movement, stilled by the deactivation of her saber.

 

“That’s probably my fault,” Callista said, sliding off the table and walking over to one of the cabinets that lined the wall.  “I told you to focus, but I forgot to tell you to relax.  Part of what you’re doing needs to be about doing what _feels _right, not just what you think is right.  And that comes from learning to trust all of your instincts and senses, rather than just relying on your sight.”

 

She walked over to the younger woman and held up a black silk cloth, which she quickly folded over into a band that she tied over Ellina’s eyes.  “Learn to _sense_ the  remote,” she said, stepping quickly out of the way as Ellina thumbed the practice saber on again and took up a defensive stance.

 

Internally, Ellina felt entirely overwhelmed.  She hadn’t felt too successful even when she could see the remote – now, she didn’t even have that.  She dropped her shoulders to relax her stance and felt the slightest wisp of air against her neck as the remote’s shot missed her by mere centimeters.  _Got lucky that time,_ she thought to herself, only to have the next shot hit her on the back of the hand.

 

The shock caused her to reflexively release her hold on the hilt, but she managed to hold onto it with her other hand and swung her blade around.  To her amazement, she heard the ricochet of a deflected bolt, and she lifted her blindfold in time to see the bolt bury itself into the soft cushion of one of the chairs against the wall.

 

“Wow,” she whispered, surprised at what she had managed to accomplish, without even thinking about it.

 

“I think that’s a good place to end for today,” Callista stepped forward from behind the table where she had ducked, unsure where the wildly deflected bolt would wind up.  “That was a good start,” she continued as she walked over to the remote, ducking one last, defiant shot from the machine before reaching up and deactivating it, catching it before it could fall to the floor.

 

“Time, patience and practice,” Callista handed Ellina the deactivated remote.  “Mastery doesn’t come overnight,” she said with a wry smile.  “And even then, there is always something new to be learned.”

 

Ellina shook her head in amazement, slowly turning the remote over in her hands.  She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by Luke bursting into the room.

 

“We have a problem,” he said, looking at Callista, eyes betraying the worry he was feeling.

 

***

 

“He’s _escaped_?”  Back in Luke’s apartment, Callista paced around the living room.  To her credit, she kept a fairly even tone, but Luke could see her shock and the beginnings of anger starting to simmer beneath the surface.  “How?” 

 

“Security breach.  NRI thinks they have someone working as a double agent on the inside that let Malinse out,” Luke gave her a brief summary of what Leia had contacted him with – the looped security feeds, the missing guards, the bypassed locks.

 

“That individual must know their way around the system,” Callista thought out loud as she continued moving restlessly around the room.  “And with the ysalamiri around, even if they were a Force-sensitive, they couldn’t have done anything.  So they not only had to know about Malinse, but about the security measures in place as well.”

 

“Oh, none of this makes any sense,” she dropped onto the sofa with a sigh, leaning back and covering her face with her hands, willing away the headache she could feel starting in the back of her head.

 

“We’ll worry about it making sense later,” Luke said.  “Right now, the biggest concern is whether he knows where the last crystals are.”

 

“He knew where the others where, it’s probably safe to assume he knows where the last two are as well,” Callista pointed out.  “it’s just a matter of deciding which planet he’ll go to first.”

 

“Let me see that map,” Luke knelt down in front of the low table in the front of the sofa as Callista pulled out a hard copy of the holographic map she had been studying earlier, narrowed down to the planets that concerned them.

 

Luke spread the map out on the table as Callista leaned over his shoulder, tracing lines on the map.  “Here’s Coruscant,” she tapped the center of the map.  “Illusia and Hakaeun are on opposite sides of the galaxy from each other.”

 

“Okay,” Luke took a breath, then stared at the map.  “Where is the last planet, the one they crystal is brought together on?”

 

“Dromund Kaas, if I’m remembering correctly, is right here,” Callista tapped another section of the map, in an area that was beyond the reaches of the Republic, deep into the Outer Rim.  Sith Space.  And Dromund Kaas was right on the edge of it.  “At least it’s not right in the center of the most well-known region for Sith activity in the galaxy,” she couldn’t help but quip as she rolled her eyes.

 

“Close enough,” Luke glanced at her.  “Reports from the region have been quiet, though.  Other than some space pirates lurking on the fringes, it’s pretty much an area of dead space anymore.”

 

Callista shook her head.  “That’s strange,” she finally said.  “Even after the Sith had been supposedly wiped out, that area always had some kind of activity.”  She paused for a moment.  “But that’s not really our main concern right now.  We have to figure out how to get to those crystals first.”

 

Luke stared at the map for a long while, eyes half-closed, lightly tracing the possible routes between planets.  “Illusia,” he finally said.  “He’s going there first.  And from here, we’re closer to it than he is.”

 

***

 

“What were you saying about not planning on a tropical paradise,” Luke raised an eyebrow at Callista, who returned the look.

 

“Well, it’s certainly an anomaly for the Outer Rim, you have to admit that,” she retorted, staring out the viewport of the _Righteous Indignation_ as it hovering in orbit around the planet. 

 

Based on the computer file readings, Illusia was indeed a tropical paradise.  The file listed a moderate climate, with large bodies of water and several large land masses, and a long list of flora and fauna.  Oddly enough, there were no large cities or population centers listed, only a few collective villages scattered throughout one of the continents.

 

“That is interesting,” Callista directed Luke’s attention to the computer screen.  “According to this, the planet used to be the center for a large religious cult of some kind.  It doesn’t give specifics, other than the location of their largest temple, which is actually located on one of the smaller continents.  Mishonatu, it looks like.  Both the continent name as well as the temple.”

 

“I would say that is probably our best chance at finding information.  Temples and caves seem to be a trend with these crystals,” Luke said, breaking orbit and slowly bringing the _Righteous_ down to the planet.

 

Luke whistled in amazement as the Righteous glided over brilliant green vegetation dotted with riotous bursts of color, and the bluest oceans he had ever seen.  Parts of the land seemed to drop straight into the ocean in sheer, rocky cliff faces, but other areas were made up of kilometers of smooth, sandy beaches.  He glanced over at Callista, only to find she was completely mesmerized by the sight.

 

“Pack your bikini?” Luke quipped, and Callista broke her transfixed gaze long enough to briefly glare at him.  Luke returned his attention to the controls, but not before he saw the faint blush creep up on her cheeks.

 

It only took a few more minutes to reach the outskirts of the Mishonatu Temple area.  From the air, they could see the temple in the distance, perhaps several kilometers away.  Even from a distance, it looked impressive, as though it were carved out of smooth, white stone.  The design looked similar to what they had already come to associate with the crystals.

 

“I think we came to the right place,” Callista murmured.  “The real question is, did we beat Malinse here?”

 

Luke closed his eyes for a moment.  “I don’t sense him,” he finally said.  “But the strange thing is, I don’t sense anyone else, either.  Just some kind of strange, unfocused energy, but that’s it.”

 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Callista said, and found herself wondering how many times she was going to repeat that particular phrase.  Outside the ship, there appeared to be a small village that surrounded the temple.  At first glance, it looked to be a fairly ordinary village, the kind that lined the Outer Rim from one side of the galaxy to the other.

 

Small, efficient housing complexes that incorporated aspects of the local flora lined narrow dirt roads.  Mud puddles and a lingering humidity in the air suggested a recent rainstorm.  Another road was lined with business establishments – mainly cantinas – and vendor carts.

 

Something was missing, though, Callista realized as she stood at the top of the hatch, staring out into the village.  There was absolutely no activity whatsoever.  It looked as if the entire village had been spirited away in the middle of their daily routine, with no sign of them left behind.

 

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” she whispered, hand sliding down to grip her lightsaber and she stared out at the stillness.  Sudden weight on her shoulder made her jump and let out a small yelp of surprise, and she caught a flash of color as Choarth dug his paws into her shoulder to steady himself as she spun away.

 

“Oh stars, don’t _do_ that,” she let out a breath and glared at the Chey’In perched on her shoulder.  “Where have you been, anyway?”

 

“I have always been here,” Choarth replied smugly.

 

Callista sneered at him.  “Here on the ship, I hope you mean.”

 

Choarth merely ruffled his fur.  “We’ve finally arrived, then?”  Without waiting for a reply, he jumped off Callista’s shoulder and took wing, nearly clipping her across the nose as he beat his wings hard enough to keep hovering in the open hatchway.  “Ah, so this is Illusia.  Interesting name.  Interesting name for an interesting place,” he trailed off as he slowly flew outside, leaving Callista to glare after him.

 

“Just wait,” she muttered under her breath.  “One day, you’re going to annoy the wrong person…”

 

“Who are you talking to?” Luke came up behind her and handed her a pack with enough basic necessities to allow them to not have to return to the ship every day.  He hoped they wouldn’t be there long enough to need to set up camp for several days, but he didn’t want to be hiking several kilometers back and forth between the temple and the ship on a constant basis.  Besides, something about the place, despite its lovely outward appearance, felt _wrong_, and he didn’t want to linger any longer than they had to.

 

“The furball is being cryptic again,” Callista blew out an irritated breath and brushed aside a few stray curls that had escaped from her braid again.  “I think he knows a lot more than he ever lets on, and only tells us stuff when it’s convenient for him.  As much as he implored me to help, and dragged me into the whole mess, he’s sure not doing a lot now.  I can’t figure him out.”

 

Luke studied the fluffy, colorful creature as Choarth dropped to the ramp after hovering for several moments and scampered down to the ground, rising up on his hind legs and sniffing the air.  “Well, he acts more like an animal than he’ll ever admit,” Luke finally said.  “Other than that, I can’t tell you much.”

 

“So helpful,” Callista teased, shouldering her pack and stepping down the ramp.  The air outside was damp, and if she stood still, she could just catch the faintest smell of fresh rain that still lingered.  It was warm, though, warm enough not to want to stand around idly for too long.

 

Callista had been distracted momentarily by the immediate surroundings of the ship – lush vegetation dotted with colorful sprays of flowers, most of them varieties she had never encountered.  A light breeze drifted in, and for a brief moment, she could smell the salt air it carried with it.  The scent gave her a pang of homesickness, as it always did.  She had grown up on the waves, and a part of her would forever cherish and miss the ocean.

 

She shook her head quickly, as though to clear her mind, and tried to refocus.  The bad feeling she had earlier had crept back into her consciousness, and this time, she tried to identify the source.  Her mind kept going back to the quiet buildings and empty streets, which Luke had started walking towards while she had allowed her mind to wander.  Chastising herself again for letting her attention slip, she quickly caught up to Luke within a few strides.

 

Mud puddles made negotiating the streets slightly more treacherous, and Callista was glad they had left the droids back on the ship.  While both astromech units were capable of traversing rough terrain, it would have made their going such slower.  And nothing they had encountered thus far had necessitated having the droids and their abilities at their disposal.

 

_Yet_, Callista thought, and grimaced.  Great, now that she had said it, they probably would end up needing the droids…_Oh, perish the thought_, she scolded herself, and turned her attention to the abandoned buildings.

 

Up close, it was easy to tell that was just what they were – abandoned.  From a distance, the building had looked untouched, but closer examination revealed the decay of neglect that had started to set it.  Doors were starting to sag on hinges weak from rust.  The recent rain had left runnels in the thick layer of dust that covered the walls, through which showed a white material of a similar appearance to the temple building.

 

Every so often, they could hear a faint crunching sound underfoot, most likely broken glass that had been buried in the mud.  Several empty window panes along the way seemed to lend weight to that theory as well.

 

The entire village gave Callista a decidedly uneasy feeling, from the low whispers of wind that whistled between the buildings, to the empty feeling she got from the sight of tattered window hangings drooping behind the few panes of intact glass, moving slowly in the breeze, as though pushed by invisible hands.  None of that was making her feel any better, but what got to her the most was the feeling like she was being watched.

 

Watching Luke, who was walking only a few paces in front of her, she could tell he was uneasy as well.  There was a caution and wariness to his movement, the deliberateness of a Jedi with their guard up, a feeling Callista knew all too well.

 

“I don’t like this,” she finally said, her whisper seeming unnaturally loud in the silence surrounding them.  “Where is everybody?”

 

Luke nodded his agreement.  “Something is definitely not right here,” he said, slowly gripping his lightsaber and removing it from his belt, but leaving it turned off.  For the moment.

 

Callista copied his movement as they continued up the street, subconsciously adopting a two-person defensive formation that would allow them to guard each other’s backs and fight at the same time, should the need arise.  She fervently hoped they would be able to slide in and out of the temple and return to the ship, unnoticed and unscathed, but a small voice in her head was telling her that was probably wishful thinking.

 

They wasted no time in getting through the village, and Callista had gotten her wish up to that point.  There had been no one to interrupt their progress, nothing to jump out at them from one of the narrow alley-ways in between buildings.

 

_Of course not, silly,_ she mentally rolled her eyes.  _What were you expecting, some mutated, flesh-eating skeleton to pop out from beneath the ground?_  Actually, with everything she had seen in her lifetime – lifetimes? – she had come to expect just about anything.  Still, the mental image of her previous thought left her grimacing.  Just because she _expected_ to encounter unpleasant things didn’t mean she had to _want _to encounter them.

 

There wasn’t much space between the edge of the village and the temple – a few hundred yards of cleared dirt, but every square meter of that space had been turned into a open graveyard littered with desiccated corpses.

 

“It looks like we found the villagers,” Callista whispered, numb with shock and horror as she took in the sight that lay at their feet.

 

***

 

Based on the skeletal remains, the villagers had been humanoid.  Beyond that, it was difficult to tell.  Most of the corpses had been mutilated beyond recognition, and it was clear that they had not died peacefully.

 

Stepping carefully between bones and pieces of what appeared to be burned cloth, Luke tried to detach himself from what he was seeing, and instead tried to get a sense of the impromptu graveyard.

 

_Death…death…death…_it whispered at him, leaving a dry, chalky taste in his mouth.  All he could sense was a trace of a deep, lingering evil, a malevolence that permeated deep into the ground, and seemed to extend towards the temple.  The odd energy sense he had picked up earlier seemed more concentrated here, and he had felt it more and more the closer they got to the temple.

 

Luke regretted not being able to give these villagers, whoever they were, the dignity of a proper burial, but unfortunately, that was one nicety they really didn’t have time to provide.  When this was all over, he would see to it that they were given the final respects that any decent being deserved.

 

“Anything?” Callista asked as Luke made his way back to where she was standing at the edge of the cleared area.

 

“Nothing,” Luke sadly shook his head.  “Nothing but a senseless, meaningless act of slaughter to simple people who were doing nothing more than going about their business.”  Hot tears stung his tears at the thought of another injustice that had gone unheeded, unnoticed until it was too late.  Callista placed a hand on his arm and gently drew him towards her in a comforting embrace.

 

Even without being able to exactly sense the depth of what had happened, she too felt the same anger at the injustice committed.  “This has to do with the crystal, I just know it,” she finally murmured, soft enough that Luke could barely hear her.

 

“Then let’s find it, and be one step closer to ridding the galaxy of it for good,” Luke looked at her, seeing his anger reflected in her eyes, wishing he could reach out to her, comfort her through the Force, do more than just offer her a brief embrace.  But neither of them could afford any distractions right now.  The graveyard seemed to be an omen, a carpet of dead bodies leading up to the stairs of the temple, a sign of what awaited…

 

The ground beneath their feet was darker that that of the street – soaked through with blood mixed with rain, Luke realized with a shudder.  Despite its initial appearance, Illusia was turning out to be anything but a tropical paradise, and he knew it would be a long time before he forgot the sight of this place.

 

As they approached the temple, the skies slowly began to turn darker, and Luke noticed Callista glance upward, then roll her eyes, almost in disgust at the cliché.  He realized it was just a cloud bank moving in across the sun, but the timing was somewhat unnerving.  The low rumble of thunder in the distance didn’t make matter any better, and Luke hoped for artificial lighting in the temple as he too glanced up at the darkening skies.

 

The temple was indeed crafted of some type of white stone, although its surface was much rougher than it appeared to be from a distance.  Luke hoped the whole thing wasn’t made of the rough stone, because if it was, any falls were bound to be painful.  Not that he was anticipating trouble, but he had learned over the years that sometimes, it was just better to anticipate the worst.  Or else Callista’s somewhat cynical side was rubbing off on him. 

 

Either way, it didn’t hurt to be prepared, he thought as he adjusted his grip on his lightsaber and cautiously edged closer to the temple entrance.

 

This temple was in markedly better condition than the one on Velez, but it too had fallen into a state of disrepair.  Rough chunks of stone had broken off around the entryway and smashing into tiny pebbles as the hit the floor.  At least the floor had been smoothed out, but, like Luke suspected, the interior walls were made of the same roughened stone as the exterior, and he made a mental note to try and keep clear of the walls, should it come to that.  He hoped not, but just as he was thinking that, he felt a faint prickling run down his spine at the same time he heard Callista’s hushed, dry whisper calling his name.  He turned to face the interior of the temple, and a sight he had never seen before…

 

Standing in the center of the room was a figure he didn’t even know how to begin to describe.  It certainly wasn’t humanoid, that was for sure.  It looked like some strange, mutated cross between a giant spider and a hairy beast of burden.  One side of its body was covered in five or six hairy, multi-jointed legs, although it was hard to get an accurate count, since they were all waving furiously around.

 

The other side only had two legs, but that wasn’t much of a relief, as each ended in a cloven hoof with razor sharp edges.  The head itself didn’t look any better.  It was large, covered in shaggy fur, and topped with four curved horns.  Four _sharp_, curved horns.  Its eyes were a sickly, neon yellow color that gleamed in the darkness.  Most disturbingly, however, was the crackle of electricity and the sparks that shot out of its body with each movement.

 

Luke spared a fast glance to his side at Callista, whose face was white.  Although she kept control of her emotions, Luke could see the fear in her eyes, and the faint shaking of her clenched jaw.  He wanted to reassure her, except that he didn’t know how much good it would do.  The sight of the creature in front of them had him shaken as well.

 

The clattering of stones off to the side had Luke spinning around in time to see another one of the creatures emerge from a darkened passageway.  He wasn’t sure what they wanted, but one thing was for sure, it wasn’t to have a friendly chat.  With that thought in mind, he activated his lightsaber, the glowing green blade casting a faint light around him, and within moments, Callista had followed suit.

 


	31. Chapter 31

The creature in the center of the room–whom Luke guessed was their leader, as he looked bigger, stronger, and uglier than the others–pointed one of its large arachnid legs at the new arrivals and hissed an unintelligible series of words at them. Luke couldn’t even begin to decipher the meaning behind him, but he was pretty sure the words weren’t, “Welcome.”

 

“Do any of you speak Basic?” Luke asked, trying for the nonconfrontational approach.

 

Callista gave him a wide-eyed look a murmured under her breath, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re actually going to talk to these things?”

 

Luke gave her an encouraging nod and whispered back, “Trust me. We’re not here to cause trouble. We’re just here to find the crystal, get it, and leave this place. I prefer to do it without having to cut up any innocent people.”

 

“But look at them, Luke,” Callista’s reply was swift.. “I really don’t think they’re innocent.”

 

“Just give me a chance to talk to them,” Luke said. “If it doesn’t work out, we punch faces. But until then, let’s try to get through this peacefully.”

 

Callista sighed and nodded, although she didn’t like it one bit.

 

Luke stepped forth, his lightsaber still on but at his side in a nonthreatening gesture. “My name is Luke Skywalker,” he said to the group of creatures. “And you are?”

 

The leader spoke in a voice that sounded both high-pitched and guttural at the same time. “We are the Beasts From Mishonatu, The Screaming Dimension. We serve the Goddess of war and death. We are her greatest priests. We are the protectors of the Great Crystal, guarding it in preparation for the Summoning of Chaos.”

 

Luke turned to Callista, who rolled her eyes in response. He smirked, then turned to address the Mishonatu priests. “It’s an honor to meet you,” he said, showing not the slightest bit of fear or disgust in his poise or tone. “We’re your friends. We’re just here for the crystal. We’ve been told that it but a shard that fits into an object of extraordinary power. Power that could wind up destroying all life. If you’ll just let us pass–”

 

“Thieves!” the leader shrieked in fury, his voice reverberating across the temple chamber. His whole body began to quake and tremble and jitter. The other priests began to follow suit, chanting in a strange, alien tongue. “You have come to steal the Great Crystal from us! That power is ours! OURS!!!!!!!!!”

 

“Clearly, you have never heard of sharing,” Luke observed.

 

The leader screamed again. “KILL THE THIEVES!!!! PROTECT THE CRYSTAL!!!!!”

 

 

“Great,” Callista muttered. “You made them mad.”

 

Luke shrugged. “I guess the friendly approach didn’t work after all.” He brought his lightsaber to bear. “Time to slice and dice.” He smiled at Callista. “Thanks for humoring me, at least.”

 

“Anytime, my love,” Callista said, going into a combat stance. “Back to business as usual.”

 

The two Jedi stood, facing the circle of Mishonatu that surrounded them...six of them in all. Each alien brandished some kind of weapon, ancient weapons rarely seen in the galaxy nowadays–wooden staffs, old-fashioned swords made of steel, maces. It didn’t look very good for Luke and Callista.

 

 

Beside him, Callista gathered up her courage and addressed them. “So...what exactly are you guys supposed to be, anyway? Because from the looks of things, you all look like the love children of a Caridan arachnid and a Wookiee...no offense to Wookiees.”  The Mishonatu looked at each other in confusion at that comment.

 

“You idiots!” the priest bellowed. “She’s trying to stall you! Rip their heads off and suck the meat off their bones!”

 

“Nice and graphic,” Luke muttered.

 

With them temporarily caught off guard, Callista pulled out a vibroblade from the sleeve of her jacket and hurled it toward the closest priest. The blade struck him through the breastbone; blood flowed, and the creature howled in pain. In unison, the other Mishonatu leaped to the attack, moving with terrifying grace and speed.

 

But Luke was ready for them. With a spin, he sent a kick to the gut of a second priest, knocking him against the wall. The Jedi Master turned and kicked another–this one with darker brown fur on its mammalian side–squarely in the face, followed by a front kick to the chest. Ribs cracked, and the alien fell down.Another of the Mishonatu, ignoring his fallen comrades, surged toward Luke. Luke saw him coming–

 

 

Then there was the flash of yellow, followed by an inhuman scream as Callista severed three of the priest’s arachnid appendages. She spun and delivered a killing blow, but Luke was quicker than she. He stuck his hand out, and an invisible blow knocked the priest to the floor. He struck headfirst and remained still.

 

“Spare their lives, if you can,” Luke said to Callista.

 

“After what we saw in that graveyard?” Callista said incredulously. Already, the anger had resurfaced, just as when she had battled Malinse. “These things deserve to die.”

 

“No,” Luke said firmly. He dodged a second attack, spun, and swept the attacking priest’s feet off the ground with a powerful kick. The Mishonatu shrieked as he hit the floor. “Kill only as a last resort. These creatures are Force-sensitive, too. The Force sustains life. If you kill them, you kill off a piece of the Force.”

 

Another priest, armed with a staff, charged toward Callista from one side, ready to swing his weapon. Callista turned her head toward him and kicked him neatly in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. The alien gasped in pain and stumbled back, landing on the altar.

 

“I’m willing to take that chance!” she said as she brought her lightsaber down towards the fallen priest. She cried out when Luke’s blade crossed her own.

 

“And at what cost, Callista?” Luke retorted, then pulled away and dodged another priest’s lunge. The Jedi Master sent a kick to the creature’s hip, and the Mishonatu was knocked to one side. “Don’t give in to your hate. It leads to the dark side, remember? Don’t go down that path again.”

Callista ignored him. “Aw, come on, you wimps,” she taunted. “I thought you priests were supposed to be tough. Hell, I could beat you all if I was blind had my hands bound behind my back.”

 

 

By then, the rest of the Mishonatu had recovered and now began working as a team to beat the intruders. But they were clearly no match for the two Jedi. Callista, in particular, fought in a whirlwind of rage, slashing recklessly with her lightsaber in all directions, crippling and maiming every priest her blade touched. Severed limbs–both insectoid and furry–wriggled reflexively on the ground, while several of the priests lay sprawled, moaning in pain.

 

Luke could feel the dark side permeate the air, and it wasn’t from the priests. It was emanating from Callista.

 

 

_Let the hate flow through you..._

 

“NO!” Luke’s shout overwhelmed even the humming of the lightsabers, and he went over to Callista, just as she was about to decapitate the final standing priest. With a single deft move, he knocked her lightsaber from her grip, shocking both himself and Callista. Her weapon flew in the air, landed beside the ruined statue, and rolled into the ancient stone wall, shutting itself off.

 

Callista rounded on Luke. “What do you think you’re doing–”

 

Luke reversed his lightsaber and knocked the priest out with the butt of his handle, then turned to Callista. “What is the matter with you, Callista? Is this how it’s going to be from now on? Every time we march into battle, I have to worry about you losing control again? Is this what you want for yourself? To become a slave to the darkness?”

 

“Don’t lecture me, Luke,” Callista snapped. The anger had dissipated somewhat, but Luke could still feel it just barely bubbling over the surface. “I know what I’m doing.”

 

“I don’t think so,” Luke countered evenly, keeping his own emotions in check. “Go back to the ship and wait for me. I’ll find the crystal myself.”

 

“I am _not_ a child, Luke!” Callista said angrily. “Quit coddling me!”

 

“I’ll quit ‘coddling’ you when you start acting like the Jedi you used to be,” Luke said, and he could see her wince at those words, saw the pain in her eyes. But he refused to back down; Callista needed to hear this. She needed to know that what she was doing was wrong. And if it meant hurting her ego, then so be it. “Is this the kind of example you want to set for Ellina? She looks up to you, Callista. You’re like a big sister to her. And if you continue down this path, you’re not just hurting yourself. You’ll be hurting the people around you.”

 

Callista sighed and looked down at her feet, ashamed. When she looked back up at him, her gray eyes brimmed with tears. “Luke, I–”

 

“Infidels!” roared the lead priest, who had hung back during the fighting. He stood by the altar, wielding a double-bladed ax. “Defilers! You have trespassed on holy grounds. You have conspired to steal our power. You have wounded the Goddess’s greatest servants. For these transgressions, you shall DIE!!!!!!!!!”

 

Luke rolled his eyes. “If you’ll excuse me, Callista, it’s time to teach someone some manners.”

 

He strode over to the priest, leaving Callista standing in the middle of the temple chamber to mull over his harsh but true words to her. She looked around at the bodies on the floor, at the destruction she had caused.

 

She had done this. _She_...a woman who had once valued and cherished all life, no matter how big or small. And now she had taken life today.  She had failed her duty as a Jedi. She had failed Ellina...She had failed Luke.

 

Luke brought his lightsaber up, watching the priest with wary eyes. Somehow, he had the feeling that the leader wouldn’t be quite as easy to take down. He waited for the creature to make the first move.

 

“In the name of the Goddess,” the priest growled, “I shall smite you with this blade!”

 

“Who is this ‘goddess’ supposed to be?” Luke asked.

 

“Lilipur,” snarled the Mishonatu priest. “The Queen of Darkness! The Howler of Disease! The Eater of Innocence! The Enemy of All That is Good and Pure and Decent! The Empress of–”

 

“All right, all right, I get it,” Luke cut in, exasperated. “She’s a really bad lady. Let’s get on with it.”

 

The priest screeched in anger and swung his battle-ax at Luke, who ducked and evaded the sloppy blows with extreme ease.

 

Callista watched as the two warriors battled as she fought a battle of her own–but unlike Luke’s, her conflict was an internal one. She felt the same strong emotions she had tapped into when she’d fought and nearly killed Malinse seething within her, just begging to be unleashed again. The power was so incredible, it terrified her.

 

_Use the dark side. With it, you can kill this monster with but a gesture._

 

“No,” Callista said, grimacing at the mental pain that followed as she pushed her demons back. She would not give in again...but Luke still needed help.

 

She ran over to retrieve her fallen lightsaber when she heard a new sound. It didn’t come from Luke’s lightsaber or from the Mishonatu’s frustrated grunts.

 

It sounded like an approaching swoop bike.

 

Callista turned toward the temple entrance, her mouth opening in surprise as a swoop sure enough rode into the chamber, its engines loud and pulsing. In the cramped confines of the temple, the sound was made all the more deafening, causing Callista to cover her ears. She saw a figure cloaked in brown seated atop the swoop. Impossible to tell whether it was male or female.

 

Who in the world–?

 

The swoop intensified in speed, and the rider let out a cry of challenge–confirming for Callista that it was a female rider. The swoop’s speed doubled and headed on a direct course–

 

–for Callista!

 

Callista let out a surprised scream as the rider on the swoop kicked out with one foot, knocking Callista flat on her back. All the air left her body in a great rush of pain, and Callista was unable to breathe for several precious seconds.

 

Luke turned, having heard the commotion. “Callista!” he cried out in horror, his fight with the priest forgotten.

 

The swoop rider turned her attention to Luke and the priest, and she fired several high-charged energy bolts in their direction. It struck the wall behind them and the archway above them, causing it to cave in. The force of the blasts knocked Luke off his feet. The priest wasn’t so lucky, and he was crushed to death under the avalanche of rocks.

 

“No!” Callista shouted as she got up, groaning in pain as she did so. It felt as if a rancor had stepped on her rib cage. But she ignored the pain and limped over to Luke’s side, and she felt for a pulse.

 

Thankfully, it was there.

 

Callista breathed a sigh of relief. He looked bruised but not too badly injured. But now it was up to her to stop this strange new arrival...whoever she was.

 

Callista stood up as the swoop swerved around and came back toward the Jedi. Callista stood her ground, watched as the swoop increased in mass and size as it came closer to her. She waited until just the right moment, and as the rider bore down on her, Callista leaped high into the air and threw a jumping sidekick into the woman’s chest, sending her flying. The swoop, now without a rider, spun out of control and smashed into the temple wall, exploding in a fireball of debris.

 

Callista landed softly on her feet and ran over to retrieve her lightsaber. She scooped it up in one hand and switched it on, watching as her mysterious attacker stood up and tossed the brown cloak to the floor. For the first time, Callista got a good look at the other woman’s face.

 

She was tall, reaching Callista’s height, and powerfully built. She had round green eyes that were like two clumps of Chadrian moss. Her luxurious, straight, reddish-gold hair was waist-length and worn in a businesslike style. She wore a black, form-fitting suit made of leather, which displayed her impressive physique. Callista recognized such a uniform; Palpatine’s greatest assassins had worn them at the height of the Empire’s power.

 

Which meant that this woman–whoever she was–was an Imperial.

 

Callista’s eyes narrowed as she studied her opponent. For some reason, she had a strange, nagging feeling that she’d seen this woman before. She seemed vaguely familiar. But where–

 

 

The woman whipped out a small silver cylinder that Callista recognized immediately as a lightsaber. A long, sky-blue blade sprang to life, its crackling hums mingling with the noise of Callista’s own weapon.

 

Callista felt her throat tighten. This woman wasn’t just an Imperial; she was a Force-user. She had to have been. Only Force-sensitives carried lightsabers. She stared at this woman and actually felt more fear now than she did when battling the priests.

 

  

  1. _ _
  



_ _

The red-haired woman let out another scream of challenge as she stepped forth and swung her blade. Callista saw it coming just in time and somersaulted back, the blue-white blade sailing just over her head. When Callista rolled backwards to her feet, their blades clashed again, generating a loud, insect-like sizzle that echoed through the temple walls.

 

The red-haired woman’s face was livid as she lunged a second time, but Callista parried the blow, grinning. Again, she felt the dark side beckon to her.

 

_Give in to your anger. Use it to kill this woman. She hurt Luke. She deserves to die..._

 

The fight between the two women grew more intense as the anger and hatred in them grew stronger and stronger. Callista tried to continue shutting away this evil in her, but every time, it came back with a firmer grip on her.

 

Luke’s words. _If you continue down this path, you’re not just hurting yourself. You’ll be hurting the people around you._

 

The momentarily lapse of concentration was enough for the red-haired woman. As she knocked Callista’s blade to one side, the leather-clad Imperial sent her foot into Callista’s gut, sending the Jedi to the floor. Callista felt a burning wave of nausea rise up her throat, but she swallowed it back down, wincing as she did so.

 

The red-haired woman cackled as she brought her saber down. Callista rolled away as the blade punched through the stone floor.

 

Callista got up, filled with a new strength.She snarled, swinging her lightsaber at the other woman– –but the redhead was too fast. She deflected the attack with her blue blade and threw one of her own, a counterclockwise slash toward Callista’s neck.Callista anticipated the attack, and her blade came up, intertwining with her opponent’s. She jabbed the saber toward the woman’s sternum, which her opponent easily dodged. The woman spun, the blue-white beam sailing toward Callista’s neck. Callista’s topaz blade went up and blocked the blow.

 

By then, the dark side had completely taken over. Callista was now a slave to its power.

 

As they continued fighting, Callista saw Luke lunge at the redhead from behind. Her eyes widened in horror. “Luke, no!” she cried out, but she was too late.

 

The redhead must have sensed him coming, for she performed an impressive backflip, landing right behind Luke as he swung with his lightsaber, hitting only air. The redhead kicked Luke in the small of his back, knocking him forward on his hands and knees. His lightsaber was knocked from his grip, out of reach.

 

“Get away from him!” Callista screamed as she charged head-on toward the redhead, just as the other woman stood over Luke, raised her lightsaber high into the air with a bloodcurdling scream–

 

–and stopped when she looked down at Luke. Her jaw opened wide, and she let out a surprised gasp. Luke looked up at her, and his reaction wasn’t that much different.

 

“Mara?” he said.

 

“Skywalker?” gasped Mara Jade. “What the hell are you doing here?”                          


	32. Chapter 32

_Mara Jade?_  Of course.  Now that she had a name to place with the face, Callista instantly recognized the other woman, and she half-wished that she hadn’t stopped her headlong rush at her.  In their few encounters, neither woman had gotten along particularly well, although Callista had never been able to put into words what it was that put her on edge around Mara.

 

Maybe it was the fact that the woman was a former Imperial, an Imperial assassin at that, one of Palpatine’s favored lackeys.  But there was something about her that rubbed Callista the wrong way, and she flat out didn’t trust her.  And she was particularly interested in hearing why exactly Mara had picked that moment to show up.

 

Outside, the clouds that had been building up finally let loose with the rain they had been promising, and thunder rumbled overhead.  A small rain of loose stones clattered down onto the floor, the movement and noise enough to break Mara Jade’s focus long enough for Luke to roll to the side and summon his lightsaber back to his hand as he rose to his feet.

 

Luke took a couple of deep breaths, flinching slightly as he did so.  He had acquired several new bruises and minor injuries, both from fighting the priests and when part of the temple wall had collapsed around him.  Fortunately, nothing hurt too badly, but Luke had a feeling he was going to be sore for the next couple days, and he hoped that they wouldn’t run into too much more trouble along the way.  _Wishful thinking, _a small voice at the back of his mind chided him before he pushed it away and refocused on what had just transpired.

 

“Mara,” Luke flicked his gaze to her still-ignited lightsaber.

 

“Right,” she gave a curt nod, her gaze still wary as she reluctantly extinguished the shimmering blue blade.  “Again, what the hell are you doing here, other than getting into trouble?”  She thought, but didn’t say, _as usual_.

 

Luke paused, not sure exactly how much he should say, and caught Callista’s eye.  He was slightly surprised by the quick warning look she shot at him before glaring back in Mara’s direction.  

 

Luke switched his attention to Mara.  “Getting into trouble, as you pointed out,” he said lightly, hoping to gloss over their presence there.  “I could ask you the same thing, though.”

 

Mara rolled her eyes and gave him an exasperated look.  “Tracking down that damn Dark Jedi that escaped.  What did you think?  That I came here for a vacation?  Your sister had a few words with the NRI, and suddenly, I’m being sent halfway across the galaxy to try and track down someone they lost.  I just wish I knew what it was I did to irritate her, because this sure seems like punishment of some sort.”

 

“I have better things to do than play errand girl,” Mara elaborated, a disdainful look still evident on her face.  “But the NRI tagged his ship, and they at least got a possible course based on his hyperspace heading before they lost the signal.  He probably found the tag, it most likely was fairly obvious.  But this place was the closest as far as possible end locations, so that is what I’m doing here.  Now how about you telling me, or do I have to ask a third time?”

 

“We’re looking for the same thing that your escapee is searching for, and trying to beat him to it,” Callista broke in smoothly, walking over to stand beside Luke. 

 

“He’s not _my_ escapee, thank you,” Mara snipped.  “Does it look like I’m out here for fun?  Or maybe for the tourist attractions.  This does look like it would be a wonderful vacation spot.  Especially if you can overlook the open graveyard.”

 

Luke saw Callista grit her teeth and he reached over and put a hand on her arm before she could open her mouth and fire off a scathing retort.  “Not now,” he quietly murmured to her.

 

Callista flicked an irritated glance towards him, but didn’t say anything.  He knew that the two women had never gotten along very well, despite his initial hope, years ago, that even Mara would have liked Callista.  Apparently not.  But this wasn’t the time or the place for them to air their grievances, whatever they may be.

 

Another rumble of thunder shook the temple, and Luke glanced up in time to see faint lines start to spiderweb across the ceiling.  “We’ve got to go,” he looked at the two women.

 

“Luke, the crystal,” Callista grabbed his arm and looked back into the large chamber, and the altar at the far end.  Or what had been the altar at one time.  Now, it was a large pile of rubble and jagged rocks, smashed beyond recognition by Mara’s speeder bike exploding into the wall.

 

“Callista,” Luke began, only to be cut off by her firm grip on his arm.

 

“We’ve come this far, we have to get it,” she locked eyes with him for a moment, then spun away, dashing to the far end of the chamber.

 

“Callista, no,” Luke called after her, but was drowned out by another loud rumble of thunder that further widened the cracks in the ceiling, sending a cloud of dust and small stones down upon them.  “Blast it,” Luke shook his head and darted after Callista.  She was giving in to her impulsive, sometimes reckless nature again – something Luke could relate to.  But that didn’t make it any easy to deal with.

 

“Damn it, Skywalker,” Mara cursed and ducked as another rain of stones hit her head and shoulders.  “Oh, that’s just great.  The damn building is collapsing, and you run _further into it_?”  Mara knew he couldn’t hear her angry mutters, but it made her feel better to say it.

 

The dust in the chamber had cleared after the last clap of thunder, and Mara could see Luke and Callista at the far end, digging through the pile of shattered rock.  “I cannot believe this,” she muttered under her breath.  A sharp crack outside, accompanied by the smell of ozone told Mara that the storm the thunder had preceded had arrived.  And from the sounds of it, it wasn’t just a summer rainstorm.  _Great.  Just great._

 

“Hey, getting flooded out isn’t part of the game plan, nor is getting smashing by bit of collapsing ceiling,” Mara called across the chamber, annoyed.

 

“No one’s asking you to stay,” Callista’s answering retort echoed across the large room.

 

Mara bristled at the other woman’s response – how dare she imply that Mara would rather turn tail and run away, like some…some…coward.  The very word was a barb that rubbed against Mara’s psyche.  Just because she looked after herself first and foremost didn’t make her a coward.  It made her smart in the ways of survival.  But try explaining that to a Jedi…Mara readily gave in to the temptation to roll her eyes as she turned towards the temple doorway, or what was left of it.

 

A large, gaping hole was all that remained in the temple wall.  Mara had no idea what had happened to the door, but she suspected it had something to do with the interesting fight she had interrupted.  Large rocks littered the path to the entrance, but Mara weaved through them easily, pausing in the ruined doorway.  Outside, rain was pouring down, turning the outside surface into a thick mix of dirt and blood from the open graveyard.

 

Mara ground her teeth in frustration.  Naturally, her ship would be several kilometers away.  That wouldn’t have been a problem, normally, but she hadn’t anticipated having her speeder laying in a thousand charred pieces on the temple floor.  Frustrated, Mara kicked at the ground and bit back a curse when her foot connected with the edge of one of the loose rocks.

 

_[i]Who in the kriffin’ galaxy did I piss off this time?_[/i] Mara fumed to herself.  If she had known this job was going to be this much trouble, she might have thought twice about getting involved.  _Too late now._

 

_Blast it, I cannot believe this is happening,_ Mara watched as the rain appeared to increase in intensity even more.  The rain didn’t bother her that much, but she didn’t relish the idea of walking in it for several kilometers, through a jungle terrain that was largely unknown.  Her trip to the temple from her ship had gone by quickly, the speeder going fast enough that Mara hadn’t had much of a chance to study the terrain.  Well, it wasn’t going to get any drier outside any time soon…

 

“Mara, don’t go out there yet,” Luke called across the chamber as she moved towards the open gap in the wall.

 

“And staying in a temple that’s been threatening to collapse is the better option, Skywalker?  No, thanks.  If that ceiling comes down, I prefer to not be the one under it.  At least outside, there’s always a chance I won’t melt in the rain,” Mara rolled her eyes.

 

Luke glanced upward.  “The rain might not get you, but the hungry carnivore sitting just inside the tree line might think you would make a good meal.”

 

“How did you-” Mara swiveled around and stared out into the driving rain.  If she squinted, she could barely make out a dark bulk tucked between several thick shrubs.  “Thanks,” Mara said grumpily, taking several steps back into the chamber, which was starting to smell.

 

The corpses of the dead priests were still slowly leaking ichor onto the floor, and the smell was mixing with the dampness in the air and the centuries old stone dust that puffed up from the ground every time Mara took a step.  _Of all the places to get stuck…_Mara grimaced.

 

“Nobody’s forcing you to stay,” Callista said as she glanced up from the pile of rocks she was sorting through and saw the look of disgust on Mara’s face.  “I’m sure you can handle one hungry predator outside, if it’s that bad in here.”  Without waiting for a response, Callista turned her attention back to the next rock pile, picking up chunks of rough stone and throwing them to the side.

 

Mara wanted to retort back, but sharp remarks lost their effectiveness when the person they were aimed at was no longer paying attention, so she had to settle for crouching down and leaning her back up against one of the larger boulders on the ground.  The jagged stone bit into her shoulder blades, and she shifted around, trying to find a more comfortable spot that didn’t involve getting gouged with pieces of rough stone.

 

“Luke, I got it!”

 

Mara’s inner litany was interrupted by the sound of Callista’s triumphant cry, and she watched with idle curiosity as Callista scrambled over the pile in front of her, shoving aside sharp rocks, heedless to the fact that the rocks were biting into her palms and ripping into her flesh.

 

“One left,” Callista whispered, looking at Luke before slowly opening her hand to reveal a deep purple gem.  Despite being covered in dust and streaks of blood from Callista’s torn palms, the crystal still sparkled in the dull light of the chamber.

 

“One left,” she repeated, just as softly, but with a hint of triumph in her voice.


	33. Chapter 33

“You’re being pretty quiet,” Luke stepped up behind Callista where she was standing in one of the back bunks of the _Righteous Indignation_, watching the rain out of one of the small viewports, and wrapped his arms around her waist.  He knew her far too well to ask, _Are you okay?_ when the look on her face told him she clearly wasn’t.

 

The events back in the Mishonatu temple were weighing heavily on her mind, he was sure.  He regretted his remark to her about acting like the Jedi she used to be.  The way he had said it made it sound as though he didn’t think she was one anymore, which couldn’t be any further from the truth.  But she had needed to hear it.  She needed that wake-up call to let her know how close to the edge she was.

 

Callista sighed, and Luke automatically tightened his arms around her waist.  “Talk to me, Callie,” he whispered, drawing her closer to him, silently pleading with her not to bottle up what was bothering her.

 

“You were right,” she finally said, still not looking at him.  “Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For not being afraid to tell me I had gone too far.  For not making excuses for me.  For telling me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear,” she finally turned around and rested her head on Luke’s shoulder. 

 

“I didn’t think it would be this hard,” she continued.  “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, being back with you, but I guess part of me hoped that my issues would just go away.  Guess it’s not that easy, huh?”

 

Luke was silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to respond to that.  “This isn’t just about what happened in the temple, is it?” he asked as he recalled the short time that Callista and Mara had been left in the same room together while he was finding a safe spot to store the crystal.

 

“Not entirely,” Callista confessed, frowning at the memory of the still-stinging words that she and Mara had exchanged.

 

***

 

The interior of the _Righteous Indignation_ felt cold after being outside in the pouring rain.  Callista quickly went over to one of the storage holds and removed a stack of towels, immediately using one to mop up her dripping hair.  Getting thoroughly soaked was starting to become a trend, one she wasn’t quite sure she enjoyed.

 

She stepped into the main hold where Mara Jade had taken a seat, and paused when Mara sent a scowl her way.  “Well, if it isn’t the invasion of the body snatcher,” she rolled her eyes.  “Oh, I’m sorry, was I supposed to be grateful that you’re offering me shelter from the storm and all that?”

 

“I _was_ just going to offer you something to try to dry down with, but maybe you prefer to just use your searing wit to warm up,” Callista snapped before she could help herself.

 

“So, are you trying to be civil, or insulting?” Mara raised an eyebrow.  “Because, really, you’re achieving neither.  But you’re good at that, aren’t you?”

 

_Do not give in, she’s just trying to bait you, make you mad._ 

 

“You know, you were the last person I expected to see again,” Mara continued.  “Just couldn’t stay away, could you?”

 

“My reasons are my own, Mara,” Callista gritted her teeth, determined not to let the other woman get to her.  She _would_ start acting like a proper Jedi again, not matter how much she wanted to take a swing at the red-head in front of her.

 

“Sure they are,” Mara smiled sardonically.  “And I’m sure none of them include the side bonus of sleeping with the galaxy’s only Jedi Master, right?”

 

Callista narrowed her eyes.  “That’s really none of your business.  I’m not asking you about any of your past ‘business dealings’, am I?”

 

“Aren’t we the witty one?” Mara sneered.  “How long are you going to stay around this time?  Oh, let me guess, this time you mean to stay.  But nothing’s changed, has it?  Oh, unless that’s all behind you now, and you’ve gotten over the fact you’re never going to be a real Jedi again.  We’ll see, won’t we?”

 

Mara smiled at the look on Callista’s face – clearly, the other woman hadn’t been expecting Mara to resort to such low remarks.  But then, Mara never did claim to try and fight fair.  Before Callista could say anything, Luke emerged from the back hold, still dripping wet from the rainstorm.

 

“Well, Skywalker, thanks for the offer of shelter, but I think I’ll take my chances with the jungle predators,” Mara tossed her wet hair behind her back and stalked to the hatch.  “Happy hunting, you two,” she tossed a final smirk in Callista’s direction, then vanished into the driving rain.

 

Luke glanced at Callista, then at the open hatch.  By the time he looked back at Callista again, she had turned and fled towards the back bunks of the ship, which Luke found her silently staring out the viewport.

 

***

 

“She really said all that, huh?” Luke reached up and brushed aside a lone tear that was making its way down Callista’s cheek.  “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

 

“I wasn’t entirely unprepared,” Callista shrugged slightly before burying her face against Luke’s shoulder.  “I just didn’t expect her to be so direct.  And the worst part is, what if she’s right?  What if I am just fooling myself, Luke? Do I even have the right to call myself a Jedi anymore?”  She pulled away from his embrace, moving to stand by the viewport again, the rain and trees outside blurring together as tears clouded her vision.

 

“I don’t know why she said what she did,” Luke ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to gather his thoughts.  “Callie, look at me,” his tone and actions were gentle as he reached out and carefully grasped her arm, turning her around towards him.

 

She automatically stepped closer to him, hands resting on his arms.

 

“Being a Jedi is not just about using the Force.  You still have the heart and the mind of a Jedi; that’s never changed.  Believe that, if nothing else,” Luke grasped her hands, feeling rough skin beneath his fingers.  He turned her hands over to see jagged cuts where the sharp rocks had torn into her skin during their frantic dig through the rubble pile.

 

Callista silently sat down on the edge of the bunk, watching as Luke retrieved a portable medkit and began to carefully clean off the multiple cuts and scrapes.

 

“You never do anything halfway, do you?” Luke tried to coax a smile out of her, but Callista’s gaze was distracted, unfocused, and she seemed to be gathering her thoughts.  He didn’t say anything, just gently finished taping protective bandages over the worst of the cuts on her hands.

 

“Luke, I’m scared,” Callista’s whisper finally broke the silence.  “I don’t know how long I can keep fighting this.  What you said earlier, it’s absolutely right.  You have every right to question whether you’re going to have to watch and worry about me every time there’s a fight.  Because that’s what it feels like sometimes, that’s I’m standing right on the edge, and that the smallest thing will make me fall.  That’s why I’m so scared,” she pulled her hands out of his grasp and walked over to the viewport again, seeking solace in the sight of the pouring rain.

 

“Callista,” Luke followed behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders.  “You’re not in this alone,” he slid his hands down to her waist, pulling her closer to him.  “I won’t let you fall,” he whispered.

 

“Promise?”  Callista spun around in his arms, and he could feel her desperation in the way she clung to him, eyes searching his face, looking for the answers and reassurance that she craved.

 

“I’m here for you, Callie,” Luke brought his hand up and rubbed a thumb across her cheek.  “But I can’t promise you it’ll be easy.”

 

“Nothing that’s worth it ever is.  But if it’s worth having, it’s worth fighting for,” Callista said, a determined gleam replacing some of the desperation in her eyes.  She loosened her tight hold on him to slide her arms around his neck, teasing her fingers through his hair.

 

Luke trailed his fingers up her neck to cup her cheeks, feeling her pulse racing as he drew her close and deeply kissed her.  Callista’s eyes were soft and slightly unfocused by the time they broke apart, and she let out a shuddering breath as Luke trailed feather-light kisses down her neck.  He threaded his fingers through her curls, running the other up and down her back, pulling her closer to him as her lips sought his again.

 

***

 

Luke awoke to the sound of Callista softly whimpering as she lay in his arms.  He opened his eyes to find her still asleep, trapped in the depths of a nightmare.

 

“Callie,” he stroked her curls away from her face, “Callie, wake up.”

 

She whimpered again.

 

“It’s okay, sweetie, wake up,” Luke gently shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up.  This time, she woke with a start, gasping for breath and trembling.  “Shh, shh, it’s okay,” he stroked her hair soothingly.  “It’s okay.”

 

Gradually, her breathing steadied as he held her, and her trembling subsided as she took several shaky breaths.  Several minutes passed as she silently rested her head against his chest. 

 

“It was so real this time,” she whispered.  “So real.”  She lifted her arm and pushed her haphazard curls out of her face.  “Except-” she paused, “it was different.  This time, you woke me up.  Before I fell.”

 

Luke had suspected she hadn’t been sleeping that well – she had always been plagued with nightmares when she was under stress or upset, and this time was obviously no exception.  But this was the first time he had heard her admit it.  He wanted to dig for more information, but right now, all Callista needed was comfort.


	34. Chapter 34

_Gray storm clouds gathered on the horizon as the white-topped surf crashed onto the shore.  A stiff breeze blew across the water and tugged at Callista’s curls as she walked next to the water.  The edge of the waves raced up to lick across her bare feet, drawing sand out from under her feet as she walked._

_The salt air blew her curls in disarray, and she tried to tie it back.  A few stubborn curls still escaped to tease across her cheeks as she stopped and stared out across the waves to the distant horizon.  The clouds were getting darker, the wind starting to pick up speed.  Another late fall storm, heralding the rapidly approaching winter season.  She looked back the way she had come, and she could still make out the shape of the ark, tied off to the dock for some seasonal repairs before the annual trip south to warmer waters._

Don’t go too far, Callista,_ her father’s words echoed in her head and she scuffled her feet in the sand, her independent nature bristling against the restraint.  She was seventeen years old, for stars’ sake.  She frowned as she stared across the water, the churning surf matching her mood almost perfectly.  She didn’t know why she and her father were butting heads so much lately.  But it seemed like the older she got, the more he insisted on treating her like a child._

_The tide has been gradually rising as she stood there, and the water now lapped around her ankles, occasionally breaking high enough to wet the bottoms of her rolled-up pant legs.  _Losing track of time again_, she chided herself and she turned around and began slowly walking back towards the dock.  The couldn’t remember how many times she had found herself captivated by the water, only to discover that several hours at passed.  Her father often laughed and said it was something she got from her mother, an observation Callista was inclined to agree with._

_Her father understood the practicality of the sea, of how to best exploit it for its available resources and business opportunities.  But Callista wondered if he understood the romance of it, the deeper nature of the sea, the wild, untamed nature that no one could ever hope to predict.  She could imagine that her mother understood how she felt, though._

_Her mother.  A topic Callista found herself thinking about more and more of late.  A person she barely remembered, but felt inexplicably close to.  She had so few memories of her mother, just a handful of fleeting impressions and her father’s words that as Callista got older, he felt as though he was looking at a replica of his late wife.  Maybe that was why he was being more overprotective of her._

_Callista felt tears welling up at the back of her eyes, and she drew the back of her hand across them to dash away the tears.  _Get a hold of yourself,_ she scolded.  If her father was going to be overprotective as it was, he didn’t need any further encouragement in that direction, and her appearing upset would definitely fall into that category._

_Her slow footsteps had brought her back to ark, where her father was standing in waist-deep water, making minor repairs in the hull that would be needed for the long trip down towards the warmer waters of the equatorial currents._

_“Good, you’re back.  Your mother has a few things she needs you to pick up.”_

_Based on her thoughts of that morning, that title rankled at Callista.  “Stepmother,” she said tightly.  “She’s _not_ my mother.”  But she did go inside to find out what it was her stepmother needed._

 

***

 

Callista woke up to the sound of the hyperdrive of the _Righteous Indignation _humming softly.  It had been a long time since she had had that particular dream, but it was a memory that she frequently remembered whenever she thought of her mother. 

 

She slowly slid out of bed and got dressed, then padded softly out to through the main hold and into the cockpit.

 

“Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” Luke looked up when Callista dropped into the co-pilot’s chair next to him.  “Planning on turning sleeping late into a new habit?”

 

“It’s not as much fun when I’m the only one sleeping in,” she teased, carefully maintaining an innocent expression, an expression that didn’t fool him for an instant.

 

He reached out and captured her hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles before bringing her fingers to his lips and lightly kissing them.  “Funny, I don’t recall you ever being the one to sleep in before.”

 

“It’s not entirely my choice,” Callista rolled her eyes.  “Apparently sleep deprivation over the course of a couple weeks isn’t a very good idea in the long run.  I don’t think I could have gotten up early if I wanted to,” she admitted.

 

“I know,” Luke reached over and keyed several commands into the navicomputer.  “Which is why I didn’t wake you up.  We’re on our way to Hakaeun; I used the data you already had in here to plot the course, and I figured you didn’t need to wake up just to take care of that,” he finished when she opened her mouth to protest.

 

Callista knew defeat when she heard it, and deliberately changed the topic, peering over at the navicomputer screen.  “Have you looked at what we’re heading into?” she asked, tapped a few commands in and watching as a new menu pulled up, displaying relevant planetary data.

 

“Well, it can’t be as bad as Hoth,” Luke ventured several moments later after reading what had shown up on the screen, and shrugged at Callista’s baleful look.  “Hopefully, anyway.  At least there aren’t wampas here,” he returned to looking at the information on the icy, snow-covered planet they were headed towards.

 

“None that are listed,” she muttered under her breath, trying very hard not to think back to their terrifying adventure on Hoth years ago.  “Look at this,” she leaned forward, monstrous snow-beasts forgotten as she started at the computer screen.  “The entire planet was covered over by an ice age over a millennia ago, and the civilization reformed out of that.  All of their cities, everything, has been adapted to and carved out of the ice.”

 

She leaned back to give Luke space to peer at the data images that appeared on-screen.  “Look at that one,” she pointed to a large, icy dwelling that appeared to be some sort of palace.  “Everything, every detail, has been carved out of the ice.  There’s even an ice bridge leading to the entrance.”

 

“I’m not sure I’d trust that on a warm day,” Luke commented, and Callista’s mouth quirked in a wry grin.

 

“I think you’re safe.  A warm day here is about thirty degrees below freezing, not including the wind chill factor,” she pointed to another section of data. 

 

“Are we supposed to feel fortunate that we’re arriving during the warm season?” Luke read over the data, raising his eyebrows at Callista.

 

“If you read what they consider cold, then yes,” she grinned again, enjoying the brief role reversal.  Normally, she was the one with the smart remarks ready, and it was amusing to see Luke beat her to it.

 

Luke was continuing to scroll through the data on the screen.  “It’s still very much a populated planet,” he said.  “Smaller settlements, a handful of larger cities, all fairly evenly spread out across the planet.  This is amazing,” he observed, “what they’re been able to do with a planet that is entirely frozen over.  They have heated pipes that melt the snow and ice and move it into the cities.”

 

“I just hope the temple is still around,” Callista said, “and that it hasn’t been buried under a millennia-old snowdrift.”

 

***

 

The _Righteous Indignation_’s engines made a slight hissing sounds in the frigid air, and steam rose from the sides of the ship that were still warm from the entry through the atmosphere.  They had landed the ship near a ridge of small mountains, below a protective outcropping of dark, smooth rocks.  Even so, the wind still whipped around in icy gusts, sending trails of dry, powdery snow swirling up the ramp and into the main hold.

 

Callista shivered, even through the multiple layers of clothing she wore.  The wind was bone-numbingly cold, the kind of cold she hadn’t felt since…

 

_The sharp crack of ice splitting had Callista spinning around reflexively, her booted feet sliding slightly on the ice.  In the distance, she could barely make out  a smaller piece of ice as it slid into the water, bobbing alongside the larger iceberg it had split from._

_She had wondered when the ice would start migrating this year.  It seemed later, for some reason.  But now that the larger ice fields were moving south, it would be time for them to move as well.  Time to head south, towards the equator and the warmer currents, where the cows would be safer and easier to defend from vicious predators.  Speaking of the cows…_

_She had been standing on the ice shelf for nearly twenty minutes, whistling and calling to the cows that were scattered across the field in front of her.  Fortunately, this particular ice field was large and thick, and the cows hadn’t felt the need to migrate to some of the smaller fields that had broken away.  Callista was getting impatient enough as it was.  It was cold out on the ice, and the wind was starting to pick up again.  Another sharp crack had her glancing worriedly out at the loose icebergs.  Normally, ice didn’t break with that kind of frequency, at least not this early on in the season.  It must have been picking up a fast current and moving into the warmer water faster than she expected._

 

“Come on, girls,” _she whistled again, stamping her feet and moving forward again.  There was no way she was going to go round up each individual cow.  All she needed was to get one moving towards her, and the rest would follow._

_Oh, good.  Persha, one of the younger cows, still young enough to be hopeful that Callista was carrying extra food, started moving towards her, webbed fins sliding across the ice.  The partially aquatic mammals were always a sight to see on land, sliding and waddling in drunken lines.  But once they were in the water, they were elegant and graceful.  At least, as elegant and graceful as cows could be. _

 

“Good girl, Persha,” _Callista encouraged, snapping her fingers towards the cow, making low, soothing noises to encourage her.  Another piece of ice breaking had Persha pausing, and Callista realized in horror that the last piece had broken off the ice shelf she was standing on.  She muttered several indeterminate curses to herself and willed the cows to move._

_To her surprise, they all started their funny shuffling gait towards her.  Callista was pleased with herself, although she had no idea how she had made them listen.  Then she glanced down at the ice and realized that she hadn’t done anything.  Faint, spidery cracks were forming on the top layer of the ice shelf, deepening the closer they got to the edges.  Callista froze.  She didn’t know whether to gather the cows together or keep them spread apart.  If their weight was concentrated in one area, the weakening ice might now support that kind of strain.  And she didn’t know how thick the ice shelf actually was, or how far from the water they were.  Before she could move, the ice made her decision for her.  She heard a sharp crack before she was engulfed in darkness and icy._

_When she came to, it was dark, and she was shivering.  Was she trapped?  She wiggled her arms and legs experimentally, and other than knocking aside a small pile of ice shards, found she could move.  Her head was another story, though, and every time she moved, she could see stars.  Wait a minute…she actually was seeing stars, and not the kind caused by a head injury.  Sure, her head was throbbing, but what she was seeing was the night sky.  How long had she been unconscious?  And what about the cows?_

_A soft lowing nearby made her carefully turn her head, and she could see shadowy shapes surrounding her, some in the water, some still on the ice.  The ice shelf had collapsed, and she was lucky enough to still be on the ice, and not floating in the water, a frozen corpse.  The cows might be able to handle the water with ease, but she would have frozen, probably even before she would have drowned._

_The ice that surrounded her glowed a soft, bluish white in the moonlight, and she could see that she was literally surrounded.  The shelf had broken into large chunks of pack ice, one of which she was laying on.  The ice was floating solidly, there was no danger of it slipping under.  But it also wasn’t going to be moving any time soon, either.  The slab she was laying on was wedged between what was left of the ice shelf and another few pieces of pack ice.  Great.  She was awake, relatively unharmed, and completely stuck.  And it was getting colder._

_Callista had no idea how long she had been out there, or if someone would come to find her.  Papa would be worried – it was late, she could tell that much.  But he only knew the general area of where she had been going, and on the ocean, a general area meant a lot of space to cover._

 

Come on, Callista, think,_ she growled to herself.  But no solution presented itself.  She slumped back down on the cold surface, running her fingers along the ice.  The cold bit into her palms and fingertips, but it sharpened her focus.  She felt as though she could trace her fingers right through the entire slab of ice, down to the ocean below.  She could feel a low-grade panic starting from a few of the cows, and she called their names, surprised when she could feel them relax._

_She shook her head, wondering if she was going crazy.  She was reading the cows’ minds.  Maybe she had hit her head harder than she though.  She rubbed a hand across her face, smearing blood from a cut on her cheek before putting her hands back down on the ice.  Something tugged at her mind, a subconscious whispering dangling a thread in front of her.  She grabbed for that invisible thread, latching onto it with her mind, following it…_

_The ice in front of her slab began to creak.  She closed her eyes, and then opened them with a start at the loud crack of the ice slab that was pinning them in place split into several smaller pieces before floating out to the sea._

_Callista sat in amazement, wondering what had just happened.  She felt completely drained and limp, but despite that, a curious sensation and awareness was fluttering through her.  Had she moved the ice, caused it to crack?  Part of her fervently agreed with that assessment.  She had moved the ice, broken it into pieces.  But how?_

_There was a grinding noise as the slab pulled away from the larger ice shelf, and Callista blinked.  Now free of the larger pieces of ice, she could see lights in the distance.  Lights winking in a familiar pattern, her father’s beacon pattern.  She hauled herself to her feet, then stumbled over to the cows, laying a hand on Persha before wrapping her arms around the cow’s neck and sliding onto her back._

_The cow seemed confused, but accepted Callista’s comforting pats and direction to make the jump into the water.  She did, and the icy water flooded Callista’s consciousness as both she and the cow temporarily dipped under the water.  Her teeth began chattering, and she could feel her loose strands of hair drying into icicle-like chunks on her head.  Fortunately, Persha knew the way home, and with Callista clinging to her back and the rest of the cows swimming behind, she set out towards the blinking lights. _

 

***

 

Callista blinked as an icy finger of snow licked across her cheek, bringing her back to the present.  She hadn’t thought back to that day for a long time…the first time she had touched the Force, she had realized later after she had begun her Jedi training.

 

“Everything okay?” Luke had watched her pause at the top of the ramp and stare, unseeingly, out at the swirling patterns the wind made in the snow.

 

“Oh, just daydreaming, sorry,” she lightly shook her head.  “The cold reminded me of the arctic region back home.”

 

Luke noted the use of the word home, and the slightly wistful quality of Callista’s voice whenever she spoke of her life back on Chad.

 

“Well, where do we go from here?” Callista blinked at the snowflakes that swirled around her face, landing on her cheeks and frosting her eyelashes in a delicate white.

 

Luke shook his head.  “I’m really not sure on this one,” he admitted.  “There wasn’t very much information about this place, at least not of the kind we’re looking for.”

 

“No,” Callista agreed.  “Information on the cities, the inhabitants, but very little on the history or any of the architecture.  I didn’t see anything on temple buildings or the like.  In fact, the only structure that was noted was the ice palace, or whatever it is.”

 

“Whatever it is, I think that’s going to be our best shot at some answers, or at least a direction to look,” Luke stepped onto the ramp, blinking as bright sunlight reflected off the white snow, and together, he and Callista began heading in the direction of the ice palace.


	35. Chapter 35

The ice palace, which was all Callista could think of it as, gleamed in the bright sunlight. Swirling, harsh winds had kept too much snow from landing on the tall spires or sticking to the walls, so the entire structure reflected light off its icy surface.

 

“It’s even prettier than in the holo,” Callista commented as they approached the structure. “You don’t agree?” she asked, when Luke furrowed his brow and hesitated before answering.

 

“I think it’s more disturbing than pretty,” he finally said. “It feels completely dead, all around here, as if there’s nothing to even sense.”

 

“Creepy,” Callista wrinkled her nose and subtly brushed her gloved fingers across her lightsaber.

 

“Ladies first?” Luke swept a hand out, indicating the slick, icy bride that spanned across a deep fissure cut into the snowy ground.

 

Callista smirked, even as they both stepped forward onto the bridge, but didn’t say anything further, concentrating instead on light, careful steps that slowly carried her across the bridge. The ice was thick and opaque, but the entire bridge was narrow, and she could easily see down into the dark, seemingly bottomless chasm it spanned.

 

She took one last step and felt solid, snowy ground under her feet again. She let out the breath she had been subconsciously holding as she crossed the bridge, and smiled slightly when she heard Luke do the same.

 

“You didn’t think it was going to break the second you put your foot on it, did you?” she weakly joked, casting a baleful look back at the bridge. She was not looking forward to having to cross back over it again.

 

“It wasn’t the first step I was necessarily worried about, it was more the middle of it that had me concerned,” Luke countered, trying to quash his own uneasiness over the situation, yet again. He hadn’t expected that the search for the crystals would be easy, but this was starting to get ridiculous. Every stop was accompanied by the proverbial bad feeling, and they hadn’t even gotten to the tough part yet. What was going to happen when it came time to actually destroy the entire crystal?

 

Now that they were closer to it, the palace looked much darker. Coupled with the fact that the sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the face of the palace and the ground, the entire place looked downright ominous.

 

The powdery snow turned granulated and icy underfoot the closer they got to the palace, and a cold wind whipped down from the top of the palace and over them. Callista shuddered as an icy chill ran down her spine, and she found herself biting her lower lip, a long-time nervous habit that she had never managed to break.

 

There was no door to the palace. The entryway was cut out of the ice, a large opening, several meters tall, with elaborate carvings and markings around the edges. Delicate lattice-work, carved into the ice, spiraled its way around the entire opening, and a decorative design of vine-work branched off from it.

 

“Someone put some time into this place,” Callista traced a finger lightly over the carvings.

 

“Too bad they didn’t put the same effort towards the inside,” Luke peered through the doorway into an area of pure devastation.

 

“What happened here?” Callista turned a full circle, staring in astonishment at the devastation that surrounded them. After an initial flurry of movement to take cover and ensure that there was no immediate threat, they had stepped into what appeared to have once been a grand entry room. Except now, it was little more than ice shards and craters gouged out of the ice. A spot of light off to the side suggested a hallway that led out of the damaged area.

 

“It looks like an explosion or something took place at some point,” Luke took a few steps into the room, pushing smaller chunks of ice out of the way as he walked.

 

“Or something,” Callista crouched down next to what was left of one of the interior walls. “Take a look at this,” she ran her fingers down the wall, rubbing at several deep slashes that had been left in the ice. “What were you saying about there not being any wampas here?”

 

“The rampant destruction sure makes an argument in that direction,” Luke crouched beside her, traced the gouges himself. “Not enough claws, though.” Fortunately, he thought to himself. He had had enough encounters with wampas to last several lifetimes – and each one had nearly cost him his life.

 

“I wasn’t looking closely enough at the ones we fought to know,” Callista said dryly. “Stopping and asking them to count their claws didn’t really cross my mind at the time.”

 

“Get stuck in one of their caves, and you never forget it,” Luke remarked. “But these don’t look like wampa slashes, either. Too short, and not quite deep enough. It almost looks like something hit the wall during a fight, dug its claws in, and sprang back in the direction it came.”

 

“So we have something with claws that was fighting. That’s a reassuring start,” Callista stood back up and walked through the room shards of ice crunching under her boots as she moved from one side to the other, where another opening cut into the ice beckoned.

 

There was less destruction in the hallway and the room it lead to. The trail of shattered ice slowly tapered off in the hallway, and by the time Callista reached the next room, there was almost no sign of the conflict that had taken place at the entry.

 

In fact, this part of the palace looked nearly pristine, as if it had literally frozen in time. Shelves had been carved into the walls, upon which rested delicate glass candleholders and small sculptures that matched the carvings around the palace entrance.

 

Permanent fixtures had been crafted out of ice into large tables that sat in the center of the room, low to the ground. Curiously, no chairs surrounded them, but silvery-white woven mats sat in piles under each of the tables.

 

The room was empty, otherwise, and through the far window, Callista could see the outside light fading fast, deepening the shadows in the corners of the room. She was surprised she was still alone in the room, that Luke hadn’t followed behind her yet. He was probably still examining the curious destruction of the entry area, a process that could conceivable take the next couple hours, hours that they didn’t have.

 

She turned to leave the room, with the thought of finding Luke and going through the rest of the palace before it was entirely dark, when a suddenly flash of movement over her shoulder caught her eye. She whirled around and instinctively lashed out with her foot, but she met no resistance, overcompensated, and fell hard, striking her head on the icy floor.

 

She wasn’t sure how long she had been unconscious. It wasn’t much darker in the room, so she assumed she had only been out for a couple minutes, at most. Her head was pounding, though, and the slight fuzziness at the edge of her vision told her she probably had another concussion.

 

Callista slowly blinked and rolled over, groaning softly at the stabbing pain that lanced through her skull. She leveraged herself upright, wavering as she stood, willing her head to stop spinning and for her stomach to settle back where it belonged. Her vision slowly cleared, and she looked up, searching for the source of the movement she had seen earlier.

 

A large, white canine-shaped figure stood in the middle of the room, head lowered to stare at her.

 

After several heart-stopping moments of terror, Callista took a breath when she realized the animal was making no move towards her. In fact, it was just standing there, quite submissively. In the dim light, the animal shone with a bright, pearlescent white that cast a faint glow around it.

 

Curious now, Callista took a step towards it. The canine tilted its head at her, still watching her, and Callista paused. The movement, like the one when it had sailed over her, was fluid, and far smoother than she had even seen before.

 

The animal still watched her serenely as she took another step and a closer look. She blinked once or twice as she stared at it. Closer now, she could she what the glow, and the light color of the room, had been disguising. The animal was actually semi-transparent, and if she looked closely, she could see the outline of the table behind it.

 

She gasped and recoiled a couple steps back, trying to grasp what she was seeing. Some kind of spirit or ghost? The animal stared at her beseechingly, almost begging her not to run away. Despite her misgivings, Callista felt drawn to it, as if it were beckoning to her.

 

As she took a few steps back towards it, the spirit moved back, then turned around moving towards another hallway cut into the ice. When she paused, it looked back at her, as if to wonder why she was stopping.

 

Callista knew she should stop, go back and find Luke, no go chasing off down some dark hallway after some canine spirit that may or may not be some figment of her imagination. Maybe this was a result of the concussion. She had never experienced any hallucinations before, but she wasn’t sure how many concussions it actually took to start experiencing some unusual side effects.

 

Something told her this wasn’t just a hallucination, or some sort of dream. She might not have her Force powers anymore, but she still had strong instincts, and more than once in the last four years, they had proven correct. And this time, they were telling her to follow the spirit.

 

The animal spirit had come back as she stood in the hallway, trying to make up her mind. It circled around her, glancing up at her from time to time, and when she stepped forward again, it bounded forward, tongue lolling, and Callista smiled at its very normal, animal-like behavior.

 

The hallway grew darker the further Callista went, but she could still make out the tough outline of the walls, thanks to the faint glow from the spirit, whom she was coming to think of as her tour guide. They passed several other passageways that branched off from the hallway, but by this time, it was too dark for Callista to see anything beyond the entrances.

 

She silently cursed when she realized that she had left her pack – and her glowrods – back with Luke, at the entry hall. You’re really thinking this one though, aren’t you? she scolded herself as she squinted in the darkness and increased her pace to keep up with the glowing spirit. No pack, no glowbars, no telling Luke where you went...your independent thinking certainly got you that much this time. It doesn’t get much more independent than this.

 

Callista knew she could find her way back – the hallway was straight, and they hadn’t taken any turns. But something kept pressing her forward, though. Curiosity was a part of it, that much she knew. And another part of her was aching to do something right for a change. She had screwed up so much in the last week. Her brushes with the dark side had scared her with how easy it had been, and she didn’t want to admit to anyone, not even herself, just how good it had felt, having all that power at her disposal.

 

She had sworn that this time would be different, but was she really doing anything to make that happen? Even though the reprimand had stung, Luke’s words had been a wakeup call, one that she needed to hear. So often, he was the one she turned to for comfort and reassurance, so to hear him berate her had had come as a shock, and had made quite an impact. She hadn’t realized how far she had been falling again until he had caught her.

 

As she was musing, the floor of the hallway had gradually begun to slope downwards at a gentle angle. The hallway took a sudden, sharp curve, and stopped suddenly as the only door in the entire palace materialized out of the darkness.

 

As Callista stepped forward, the hallway was plunged into sudden darkness, and she realized that the spirit had vanished. Now she was really wishing for those glowrods. Fumbling in the dark, she yanked her gloves off and reached out, trying to get a feel for her surroundings. The last thing she had seen before the spirit vanished was intricate carvings decorating the face of the door, and under her fingertips now, she felt a cool, dry surface, ridged and creased with carvings. She had found the door.

 

As she passed her fingers along the surface, feeling for a knob of sorts, or a way to get in, she noticed a faint glow starting from where her fingers had first encountered the door. The carvings where slowly picking up a silver glow, highlighting the spirals and swirls that made up the designs. She took a cautious step back, watching as the glow spread outwards, following the interconnected design until the entire door was covered in softly glowing, silver etchings.

 

Callista stepped forward again, cautiously holding her hand up to the door, pausing a moment before resting her palm against it. Nothing happened for a time, then she heard the faintest click of a lock, and the door swung open beneath her hand.


	36. Chapter 36

The light in the room was a jarring contrast to the blackness of the hall, and Callista had to shield her eyes for several moments until she could adjust to the brightness. After her vision cleared, she cautiously stepped forward. As soon as she had cleared the doorway, the door slammed shut behind her, and the bright lights abruptly turned off, leaving Callista in blackness.

 

A chill ran down her spine, and it wasn’t just from the icy coldness of the room. The plunge into sudden darkness from the bright light had completely shattered Callista’s night vision, which had almost adapted to the dark before the door had opened, and she knew it would take quite a while to adjust again. Time that she might not have.

 

She still didn’t know the layout of her surroundings; she hadn’t had time to look around the room before the light had gone out. Callista knew she was still standing in front of where the door had been open, and she cautiously reached out, feeling for the edges of the door.

 

The walls were cold to the touch, but strangely, the icy surface was dry, and didn’t melt under her fingertips. A small part of her was curious about the structure, and the planet itself, and wanted a chance to investigate further. That was overridden, though, by the desperate need to find a way out of the room and away from the feelings of claustrophobia and suffocation that were starting to set in.

 

This was the last time she was going to go running off on a whim without backup, or at least without anyone knowing where she was going. _Yeah, right,_ her inner voice whispered. How many times have you said that before? And you still haven’t learned.

 

Callista scowled, running her fingers over the walls. She wasn’t having any luck finding a sign of the door – no cracks, no hinges, nothing. Maybe she was searching in the wrong place…but she hadn’t moved since the door had slammed. _Great, just great. Just when things are starting to go right, you screw it all up by getting trapped in some ice cell. Good job. _

 

Frustrated with herself and the whole situation, Callista kicked out at the wall, wincing as her foot connected with the icy surface. Not one of her smarter moves. She let out a frustrated sigh, then sank to the ground, leaning up against the wall, mindless of the cold that immediately started to penetrate through her layers of clothing.

 

At least her eyesight was finally starting to adjust to the darkness again. The inky blackness was slowly softening, and Callista was able to distinguish her own form in contrast to the walls, which had been a dazzling white, she remembered.

 

She had come to the conclusion that she was stuck, but hadn’t been able to move beyond that. She had no idea where to go or what to do from here, and a feeling of hopelessness was beginning to set it. Apparently this was one time that her instincts about trusting the canine spirit had been well and truly wrong.

 

Callista drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and resting her head on her arms. Wait a minute…she sat bolt upright again. She must have concussed herself harder than she thought, or else the cold had addled her brain, because she had completely forgotten about her lightsaber.

 

Her lightsaber…she slid a hand down to her belt, and grasped at empty air. _Oh, no…_

 

Callista vaguely remembered hitting the ice on her side and rolling before she blacked out. Her lightsaber must have come unclipped when she rolled. Sure enough, she carefully fingered the broken clip on her belt. She must have hit it at just the right angle to make it crack. Well, at least the sight of her lightsaber laying in the empty room might send Luke on the trail of where she had gone.

 

_Damn it…_ she leaned her head back against the wall and silently cursed. Her one hope of getting out of here was gone. Well, she did have the small knife tucked away in her boot, but she very much doubted that she could use that to dig her way through the ice walls. Still, since she was just sitting here…

 

She pulled the knife out, but before she could start scraping at the wall, a faint glow of light appeared off to her side, growing steadily brighter until it materialized into the form of the canine spirit.

 

“Oh, you’re back again,” Callista fumbled for the knife where she had dropped it in surprise at the first sign of the glow. “Come to check on the accommodations?”

 

The spirit looked at her a touch reproachfully, and Callista rolled her eyes. “You can’t possibly be trying to make me feel bad for yelling at you.” Callista swore the spirit raised an eyebrow at her. “Okay, maybe you are.”

 

“So, have you come to help me out of this, or are you just here to enjoy the stunning interior decorating?” she continued, turning towards the wall again, ready to attempt to futile task of digging through the wall.

 

“He is here because I asked him to bring you here,” a soft voice had Callista whirling around, grabbing for her missing lightsaber, then backing up against the wall as another faint glow started moving towards her.

 

“Do not be afraid, I have no intention of harming you,” the voice said again as the glow stopped in midair, then intensified, slowly morphing into a glowing, humanoid figure. From the voice, Callista had figured it to be female, but she was unable to tell anything beyond that. The figure was draped in white robes, with a hood covering down over her eyes, leaving only the lower half of her face exposed.

 

Despite her initial misgivings, Callista found the soft voice to be comforting, and she felt her unease start to fade. It probably helped that the two glowing figures were casting a lot more light in her immediate vicinity, and that she no longer felt quite so trapped.

 

“You are seeking something,” the spirit continued, “and that quest has lead you here. There is a purpose behind all our actions, even if it is not apparent at the moment. Such as the case with yourself. Had you not come here alone, none of these events would have occurred. For this task is yours alone.”

 

“You knew I was coming?” Callista eyed the spirit, who offered no response other than to move aside and gesture out at the room. After an instant, the room started getting slowly getting brighter as hidden lights started to dimly glow.

 

Callista looked around in the dim light, expecting to see a grand chamber, or elaborate ornamentations. Instead, there was nothing. The room was entirely bare, surrounded by white, icy walls.

 

Callista looked at the spirit with a raised eyebrow, unsure of what to expect, or what was expected of her.

 

“Life is a test,” the spirit said softly. “How do you react to it? Are you prepared to face the worst, to accept it? Your actions define you, and the path you will walk.” With that, both spirits faded out of sight, leaving Callista standing in the middle of the dimly-lit room.

 

An uneasiness stole over Callista, and she found herself wishing for her lightsaber as she grasped at the empty space where it normally hung. It was deathly quiet in the room, and all of Callista’s nerves were on edge, unsure of what to expect, of what was coming.

 

Despite the room appearing to be sealed, a chilly breeze washed over her at the same time the lights turned a dim red, and she found herself in the middle of a familiar scene, one she had been through before…

 

_It’s a simulator, it has to be. This isn’t real, it isn’t happening, not again… _

 

She was standing in the middle of a nondescript white hallway, while warning alarms blared overhead, and the sound of blaster fire echoed in the background. There were no windows, but that didn’t matter. Callista instantly recognized the place. A medcenter on Itts Epsilon, a planet in the middle of the Outer Rim, and one that had been used as a base for the hidden Jedi during Palpatine’s purges. Only the base had been discovered, and she, along with a scant handful of remaining Jedi, had been sent to try to get the survivors out before Palpatine’s stormtroopers could get to it. They had been too late.

 

And now she was back in the middle of it. Only something was different this time…she was there earlier. She had a chance to warn the survivors, give them time to hide, or to get out. Blast it, if she only had her lightsaber, she could fight the stormtroopers herself, instead of walking into an ambush.

 

_That’s not how this works_, the spirit’s soft voice echoed in her mind. _You’re not really here, and can’t affect anything that happens_.

 

“But, I can’t just stand here and watch,” Callista whispered helplessly as she watched one of the side doors burst off its hinges and the younger version of herself went skidding through the open doorway, glancing back through the door to see if anyone was following.

 

It was strange to see a reenactment of herself in this way – she knew what was coming, but had no way to act on it.

 

“Jem, are you coming?” she found herself mouthing the words along with her younger self. “Jemsen, where are you?” the younger Callista stepped back to the door, cautiously peering around the side, down the darkened hallway she had just come from.

 

_Don’t do it,_ Callista wanted to tell her younger self. _Don’t go back down there, you’re not going to want to see it…_ She knew what was coming, and had no desire to repeat this part of history. But it seemed as though her mind was going to force her to relive it anyway…

 

***

_Callista stepped back down the hall, the same hall she had just fled down moments before. J’msen had been right behind her – where was he now? Had he been captured? She hadn’t heard him cry out, or make any noise. _

_The hallway ended at the steep staircase they had been running down, and as soon as Callista approached the shadowy area, she had a very bad feeling about things. _

_“No,” she whispered, instinctively knowing what she was going to find behind the stairwell. A flash of pale skin confirmed that, and Callista fell to her knees at the sight of J’msen’s body behind the stairs, the body of a young Jedi child still cradled in his arms. _

_“Jem, no,” Callista whimpered, pressing a fist to her mouth, unable to stop the tears from falling. “Jem…” she reached out, placing a hand against her friend’s cold skin. J’msen, her best friend since her first day of training, the one that had bailed her out almost every time she had gotten in trouble. Geith was her lover, but Jem had been her best friend, the one she turned to after she and Geith had butted heads too many times. And now, he was dead. _

_She whimpered again as she brushed a few strands of dark hair away from his face. She had just been nagging at him a few days ago to cut it, too. He looked peaceful, as if he were just sleeping, except for the awkward angle of his neck. _

_He still had a hold on a young child, a little girl that looked no more than a year old. Another child…so many of the victims were children. Callista passed a hand over the little girl’s blonde hair, then startled when the child stirred slightly. She was still alive! Maybe one more life could be saved. _

_“Get up, Jedi,” Callista’s spine went rigid at the hand that clamped around the back of her neck just as she was reaching for the child, and she was dragged out from under the stairwell to be deposited at the booted feet of an Imperial officer. Two stormtroopers stood behind him, and third dragged J’msen’s lifeless body into the hall before roughly picking up the child and handing her to the officer. _

_“You Jedi are so gullible,” he sneered down at Callista, then casually drove his booted foot into her ribs after she spat at him. “Your friend saw what you didn’t…a child, half hidden under the stairwell. You were the smart one, and avoided our trap. He wasn’t so fortunate. In trying to save another life, it cost him his own. And, really, he efforts were futile, anyway.” He passed the child to one of the stormtroopers, and Callista screamed in horror as she heard the snapping of the delicate bones in the child’s neck. _

_“You bastards,” she screamed, leaping to her feet with enough speed to take the Imperials completely by surprise. Before the stormtroopers could react fast enough to train their blasters on her, she had her lightsaber out, blade humming in anticipation. _

_The three stormtroopers surrounded her, and Callista bared her teeth at them. They had what was coming to them… _

_She sensed the motion of the stormtrooper behind her, and at the same time he squeezed the trigger, she called upon all of her training, and all of the reserves she had been building up of her Force powers, and leapt into the air, backflipping over the stormtrooper’s head. The bolt of energy from his blaster that had been meant for her pierced the chestplate of the opposing stormtrooper, and he went sprawling. _

_Callista wasted no time. As soon as she landed, she spun and lashed out with her foot, catching the stormtrooper she had landed behind on the ankles, bearing him to the ground.. She caught her arm around his neck as he was falling, long enough to drive her knee into his kidneys, and hard enough to ensure that the pain would keep him out of commission for some time. _

_The third stormtrooper had recovered his wits about him by this time, and was leveling his blaster at her. He squeezed off several shots, and Callista let the Force take over, guiding her hand on her lightsaber to deflect the bolts away from her direction. He squeezed off one final shot, and Callista deflected it, right back at him to strike squarely in the unarmored neck portion of his stormtrooper uniform. Then she turned her attention to the officer. _

_The fight with the stormtroopers had given her a rush of adrenaline…and something else. She could feel a dark pulsing in her mind, a warning sign that she was right on the edge. The anger that had been building since she witnessed the senseless murder of the innocent Jedi child was now coming to a head as she faced down the officer. _

_His cool, calculating look had not changed from the moment she had seen him, and seeing that absolute absence of remorse or emotion was her undoing. With a cry of rage, Callista charged at him, lightsaber swinging, fully focused on plunging the blade into his chest and ending his pitiful existence. _

_Her focus on her target was intense, so much that she didn’t see the stormtrooper she had backflipped over regain consciousness long enough to drag a leg into her path, and she tripped. She managed to turn the stumble into a somersault, but her timing and direction were both off, and she cried out as she slammed hard into the wall and lay there. By the time she recovered, both the officer and the stormtrooper had blasters leveled at her. _

_“You Jedi never learn,” the officer sighed. Callista tried to gather her strength, but the earlier fight had been draining, and her lightsaber still lay on the other side of the room. She didn’t have enough time to summon it and still block the inevitable blaster bolts, and she didn’t know if she had enough strength to block the bolts on her own. It wasn’t something she had ever tried, and these weren’t exactly ideal circumstances. _

_Just as the officer squeezed the trigger, several bolts came lancing down from the stairwell, striking the stormtrooper and throwing off the officer’s aim. Callista should have taken advantage of the moment, but she was worn out, and all she could do was watch gratefully and wonder who her rescuer was as another bolt came down and struck the officer in the arm, forcing him to drop the blaster. _

_“Callista, come on, get moving, unless you want me to keep taking potshots at this guy.” _

_Geith. She should have known. The sound of his gruff, impatient tone echoing down the stairwell gave her enough strength to stagger to her feet. The officer was standing in front of her, half hunched over his wounded arm. Callista faced him for a moment before coiling back and letting fly a roundhouse kick that snapped the officer’s head to the side and dropped him to the floor. _

_Callista slowly limped over to retrieve her lightsaber, and glanced up at the heavy clomping of Geith coming down the stairs. She took one look at him, then collapsed in his arms. She leaned into his chest, letting him support her as he took a look around the stairwell area, and she heard his soft swearing as he saw J’msen’s body. _

_“Damn it, no,” he softly muttered. “I’m sorry, Callie,” he gathered her close, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but we’ve got to get out of here. There’s a bunch more of these guys,” he nodded to the stormtroopers, “gathering around outside.” _

_“But Jem…” Callista weakly protested. “I can’t leave him here,” she shook her head, trying to ward off the dizziness that was threatening to overtake her. _

_“You’re going to have to, Cal,” Geith insisted. “I can’t get you both out of here.” _

_“I can walk,” Callista stubbornly shook her head and tried to push away from Geith. She had barely taken one step when she wobbled and he reached out to catch her again. _

_“Like hell you can,” he growled, wrapping an arm around her waist and hauling her towards the door. “C’mon, there’s a back way out of here. You’re not making it up those steps, and there’s more stormtroopers than I care to take on all milling around up there anyway.” _

_“I can help,” Callista still protested as Geith lead her out of the room. _

_“Of course you can, you stubborn fish rider,” he chided. “Once you can actually see straight. Now, let’s go,” he glanced up at the sound of slamming doors and clattering feet filtered down the stairwell. _

_Callista cast one last, longing look back at J’msen’s body as she leaned against Geith and let him lead her out of the room. _

_“Good-bye, Jem,” she softly whispered, audible only to herself. _

***

 

Callista realized that her cheeks were wet with tears, and when she opened her eyes again, the room’s lighting was back to dim white, and the room was empty. Her heart was racing from reliving that moment, a time that she would consider one of the worst moments of her life. Her best friend was dead, there was no chance of saving the Jedi that had been hiding there, she and Geith had barely made it out of there themselves…

 

Her head spun again, reminding her of her most recent concussion, and forcing her back to the present. She didn’t understand what this was all about, why she had to relive that moment. The most terrifying part about it had been how much she had tapped into the dark side and let her anger control her.


	37. Chapter 37

Her head was really starting to hurt now, between the concussion and the stress of the memory she had just seen, and she was still trying to puzzle over its significance. Maybe things would be clearer if she sat down.

Callista slowly walked over to the wall and slid to the floor, leaning up against the cool surface once more. She felt so tired, and no clear answers were coming to her head. She supposed this all related back, in some way, to the crystal, but she was failing to see how this was applicable. The spirit had mentioned something about tests. Was that what this was? Some sort of test, to gauge her reactions? If that was the case, why not put her through something new, not something she had already experienced?

Trying to work through all of the questions in her mind was making Callista’s head spin, and she slowly closed her eyes, resting her forehead on her drawn-up knees. She knew that she had to figure this out, but maybe she would feel better if she just rested for a few minutes.

_“Callista, you’re not focusing,” Djinn Altis waved a hand, and the training remote that was circling around Callista’s head dropped to the floor. She deactivated her lightsaber and swiped a few sweaty tendrils out hair out of her eyes before glancing down at the floor, properly chagrined._

_“I’m sorry, Master,” she murmured softly._

_“Don’t apologize to me, Callista,” Djinn’s soft voice never changed in tone, but she could sense his disappointment. “Apologize to yourself, because the only person you are hurting right now is yourself. By not focusing, you are doing yourself a disservice, and not taking in the full potential of the training session.”_

_“Yes, Master,” she nodded briefly and thumbed on her lightsaber, the pale blue of the practice blade casting a soft glow on her face as she waited for the remote to start circling again. Instead, it stayed motionless on the ground._

_“Master?” Callista glanced up questioningly._

_“You’re still not in the proper frame of mind to do this, my apprentice,” Djinn said, standing up and laying a hand on Callista’s shoulder. “It is very dangerous for a Jedi to allow themselves to go into a fight when they are distracted. That is just the kind of thing that makes a Force user more susceptible to the influence of the dark side.”_

_Callista nodded in understanding. All of Djinn Altis’s students had heard that before, of course, but he was choosing to remind her of it. And Master Altis never said anything lightly during a training session._

_“It’s something you need to be careful of, Callista,” Djinn continued. “You’ve come close to the edge on a few occasions.”_

_Callista flushed. He was right, there had been several training sessions with other students that had pushed her in the wrong direction. “But they had it coming,” she protested weakly._

_“Did they?” Djinn’s piercing eyes met hers, and she slowly shook her head. “Callista, being a Jedi means not acting on feelings of revenge, or making sure someone ‘gets what is coming to them,’” he said._

_“You have a lot of Force potential,” he continued, “which is why I took you on as a student, even though you’re far older than what the Jedi Council ever accepts. You have talent, but there’s a darkness there, and untrained, you do pose a danger, both to yourself as well as others. Control, Callista, remember. Control your emotions, control your actions.”_

_“Yes, Master,” Callista nodded again. Really, what more could she say or do?_

_“Good. I think that’s where we’ll end for today, then,” Djinn picked up the remote and walked to the door. “Remember what I said.”_

Callista jerked awake with a start. She hadn’t even realized she had been dreaming, but she remembered that training session as clear as if it had just happened yesterday. Djinn’s words floated to the top of her mind…_There’s a darkness there…pose a danger to yourself…and others…_

“Is this what this is all about?” she whispered to herself.

“Yes,” the spirit appeared in midair again. “You must learn to face yourself before you can ever hope to successfully face the trials of the world.”

“What do you mean?” Callista slowly climbed to her feet.

“Acceptance is the key,” the spirit answered, and vanished again.

Callista scowled at the cryptic answer. What she wouldn’t give for one simple, straight answer these days. It seemed that all she had been hearing lately was cryptic replies and circular reasoning. “Even a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would do,” she grumbled to herself.

_Acceptance is the key…_ What was that supposed to mean? Acceptance of what?

Her headache suddenly overwhelmed her again, and she slowly sank to the floor again as a series of images suddenly bombarded her mind…

_She and Luke were being attacked by bat-like creatures on Dagobah. Her first time being able to touch the Force again, and it had been the dark side._

_Fighting the wampas on Hoth, struggling against the whispers at the back of her mind, urging her to let go, how easy it would make things._

_Her fight with Admiral Daala on board the _Knight Hammer_ above Yavin 4, letting the dark side control her actions as she dodged the blaster bolts, deflecting them haphazardly with her lightsaber._

_The haunting darkness that had engulfed her on Nam Chorios. Alone, terrified, and desperate, she had been willing to turn to anyone for help. Everyone, that is, except the one person who could help her. Even when she had the chance to make up for that, to reach across that invisible chasm that divided them, accept his help, she couldn’t bring herself to do so._

_Her time spent with the Gamorrean free-traders, an experience guaranteed to make one appreciate living conditions on just about every other planet in the galaxy. Even then, the dark side had still followed her, taunting her during her terrifying fight with the kheil’war on Gamorr._

_And, most recently, her all-out plunges over to the dark side both in the fight with Malinse, and the battle against the Mishonatu priests. She was getting worse, not better, and it was getting harder to resist the call each time. Luke had been right. She didn’t deserve to be called a Jedi, not anymore. She was embracing her inner darkness far to readily, and willingly letting it control her._

She was afraid. That revelation came after the images finished searing themselves into her brain. The dark side was her last connection to the Force and her lost powers. Even knowing what she did, she was still unwilling to let that go, afraid to lose that slight connection, despite everything she had been taught. Even the dark side was better than nothing at all.

No! She knew better than that. That’s exactly what the spirit had been trying to tell her with these images. She had fought that darkness before, she _would_ do it again. Damn it, she _was_ still a Jedi. Even without the Force.

“Good,” the spirit appeared, floating in front of her again. “You finally recognize that. But do you _accept_ it?” she persisted.

“Accept it?” Callista titled her head up to look at the spirit.

“Can you accept the fact that, despite the hopes you’re clinging to, you may never regain your Force powers again? Can you let that go? Can you willingly give that up? Because that will always stand in your way if you don’t,” the spirit bowed her head, but instead of fading from view as Callista expected, she stayed, hovering several feet off the ground, watching Callista. “I can tell you need time to think about it.”

The spirit faded from view again, leaving Callista alone in the room. As she left, the lights slowly dimmed to a soft violet color, one Callista found oddly soothing as she pondered the questions the spirit had left her with.

Could she really let go of that hope she had been clinging to for so long? She desperately wanted her powers back; she was kidding herself if she tried to think otherwise. And right now, that was the biggest obstacle standing in her way.

What did letting go mean? Was it a sign of giving up, of resignation? Or was it a sign of moving on? She just didn’t know, which was why the spirit had given her time to think, she supposed.

_Think about the cost,_ a soft voice whispered inside her mind. Callista’s head jerked up – it didn’t sound like the spirit’s voice – but she didn’t see anything around her. Great, now she was imagining things. The stress of the last few hours had caught up, and combined with the effects of another head injury, were exacting a demanding toll on her body, and she could feel herself succumbing to her desperate need for sleep. Her last coherent thought was an echo of the what the voice in her head had said. _Think about the cost…_

_***_

_Had it been worth it? Had everything she had done, everything that had happened in her life been worth it? Callista pressed her hands to her face, still too numb with shock to feel anything but emotional detachment._

_She was alone. The emptiness of the ship seemed to press in around her as she slowly walked down a corridor marked with orange worklights. As she walked, bits of her last conversation with Geith slowly played through her mind.  
_  
“There’s other ways of doing this than getting ourselves killed…”

“I’m telling you neither of us has to do it, Callie…”

“You don’t have to be such a hero, baby…”

“You stubborn fish rider…”

_Stubborn fish rider. His pet name for her, one he used when he was equally amused or exasperated with her. _

“Don’t leave me, Geith. I can’t do it alone.”

_Don’t leave me…_

_The closest she had come to begging for anything from him…and it had fallen of deaf ears._

_“Don’t do this, Geith,” she whispered, glancing up at the ceiling as though she could see through it, to the skies and the asteroid field surrounding the ship. The _Eye of Palpatine_. _Emperor_ Palpatine’s newest secret weapon, a gigantic battlemoon designed for the purpose of eliminating the hidden Jedi colony on Belsavis. Of course, Palpatine would find other nefarious tasks for it as well, that much was certain. But not if Callista could help it._

_I can’t do it alone…_

_She didn’t have a choice. Geith had left. And whether it was something in the goodbye kiss he had given her, or the Force whispering hints of foreboding, she knew she wasn’t going to see him again. Even if the station let him leave, it certainly wouldn’t let him back on again. The Will had been tricked once, and it was too smart to let it happen again. Too smart, and too malicious to let its offenders off without exacting revenge._

_Her steps had taken her to the gun room, an action she was certain was guided by the Force. She gestured with her hand, and the door slid open smoothly. Inside, rows and rows of computer screens and consoles sat, gleaming dully in the cold light. She walked over to the closest one and raised a hand, but before she could do anything, she pulled her hand back, and turned to sit on the corner of the nearest console._

_She felt as if she were holding her breath, waiting for something to happen, anything. She twisted her fingers together before resting her hands on her leg, dropping her gaze to the floor. She could feel the tension building in herself as she listen to the soft ticking of the chronometer above the door marking time, and she waited._


	38. Chapter 38

_Callista didn’t know how long she sat. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, not anymore. She felt numb, and her mind refused to accept what she had sensed happening outside the ship. She couldn’t, just couldn’t accept the fact that Geith was gone. Despite what she had concluded earlier about the Will, she had hoped that Geith’s piloting skills would be enough to let him get away from the ship._

_“Don’t do this to me, Geith,” she whispered softly, audible only to her own ears. “Don’t do this.” But all was quiet, both audibly and through the Force. Callista still didn’t want to believe it, but she found herself rising and walking over to one of the consoles, anyway.  
_  
Why are you doing this to yourself?  
_  
She had to know. Instinctively, she already knew, but intellectually, she needed a definitive answer, had to see for herself. She tapped in a few commands, and slowly watched as a line of readings appeared on the screen. Those confirmed what she had already known, but she needed more._

_She tapped the command for VISUAL REPLAY._

_Geith’s piloting skills were being put to the absolute test, no question. The Will had learned from the first time they had slipped though its defenses. Learned, and adapted. It knew that Geith had figured out its targeting pattern, and it had changed. It knew all it would take was one tiny change in that pattern, one random twitch, to change everything. And it took advantage of that._

_The random bolt punched a hole through the stabilizer of the Blastboat, spinning it around, but Geith still managed to keep it under control; an unexpected asteroid disturbed by the trajectory of the craft changed that. The first power unit flew off on impact, and what little control still remained was gone._

_As much as she wanted to, Callista couldn’t avert her eyes as she watched the screen, the explosion splashing bright white light across her face. The screen froze, the final image of the explosion reflecting in the shimmer of tears that gathered in her eyes._

_She closed her eyes, letting the tears silently run down her cheeks, tracing lines in the smudges and grime that marked her face. She had still clung to the thought that maybe Geith had managed to make it out, that there was still a chance to warn the Jedi on Belsavis. Now, it was up to her. She was the only one that had a chance at stopping the ship, the only hope for preventing the slaughter the ship would be sure to bring down upon the planet._

_She finally pulled her gaze away from the computer screen and looked up at the ceiling. She narrowed her eyes briefly as she stared at the ceiling tiles. She drew a breath, then released it, lightly moving her hand at her side. One of the ceiling tiles dropped away and clattered to the deck, the metallic ringing echoing loudly through the room._

_She stared unblinking at the dark shaft of the enclision grid overhead. Pale spots of light that made up the grid stared accusingly back at her, as if it sensed her intentions. She moved her fingers again, and another metallic clatter rang through the room as a heavy, barred grille tumbled out of the shaft. She slowly walked over and dragged it over to the corner of the room, then moved back to stand directly under the shaft._

_This was it, then. This was what her life had come down to, her Jedi abilities against the malicious intent of a computer program determined to unload its full arsenal on her, whatever it took to end her life. So be it. As long as she had a chance to return the favor first._

_She gathered her breath, then slowly let it go, calling on her abilities and tightening her focus until all she was centered on was the grid. She stretched her mind, feeling the cracking of electricity between the connections of the grid, tracing them the whole way up to the computer core. She steadied herself one last time, then blasted at the grid with her mind a split second before she called on her reserves of power to leap up into the shaft._

_Spidery lines of blue-white lightning flickered all around her as she used the Force to propel herself up the grid. She made it halfway up the shaft before the first line of electricity burned across her back._

_Her tight focus broke, and she felt herself start to drop. Her hands slapped along the walls of the shaft, fingers catching hold of metal staples that had been installed around some of the grid connection points. She stopped her downward plunge, but the brief seconds that she hung there were enough for another streak of light to reach out and pierce thorough her lower leg._

_She cried out in pain, and instinctively ducked as more white bolts started flashing around her head and body. The pain was more intense that she could have imagined, and she could feel her concentration weakening, and with it, her control over the grid. She only had a few seconds before she lost control, and when that happened, she would be stuck in the shaft. And even if the electricity didn’t kill her, the fall back down the deck of the gun room likely would._

_She pushed her mind past the pain across her back and her leg, gathering her focus again on the grid that lay above her. She cautiously eased her hold on some of the lower connection points – hopefully, she was up far enough that it wouldn’t be able to reach her – and transferred that focus to the point around and above her, diverting their energy and short-circuiting the points just before they were ready to discharge._

_She didn’t have the strength to levitate any further, that much was clear, so she tightened her grip on the staples and began to crawl up the wall of the shaft. Being against the wall gave her more support to make the climb, but she felt much more vulnerable and unable to maneuver out of the way of the bolts as well._

_The top of the shaft seemed to be taunting her, a faint square of light that kept wavering higher above her as her focus dipped in and out. She dimly registered that flaring of pain as new bolts blistered her skin, but she kept digging her hands into the staples, dragging herself up the shaft, trying to keep the remaining connection points misfiring._

_She could not fail, not now. She hissed in pain when one of the beams caught her glancing across the back of her hand, causing her to release her hold on the staple. She dangled precariously for a few seconds before gritting her teeth and grasping the metal once again. Only a little further…_

_Callista hauled herself up the last few rungs of staples, crying with pain and exhaustion when she finally reached the top. She dragged herself over the edge of the shaft and rolled onto the floor of the cold metal housing that surrounded the entire computer core. She released her mental hold on the grid before turning her attention to herself._

_The grid had done more damage than she had realized initially, as she felt her body begin to protest to electrical volts that had been poured into it. Pain wracked through her as a coughing fit seized her. She curled up in a ball as the hacking fit subsided, then drew a shaky breath and spat blood out into the deck in from of her._

_She slowly climbed to her knees, vision blurring in and out of focus as she glanced around, trying to orient herself in the computer core. There were so many wires, so many buttons…which one did she pull? She staggered to her feet, nearly fell several times, then managed to brace herself against a bulkhead next to the shaft opening._

_There was a control panel in front of her. With shaky hands, Callista began slowly keying in commands, satisfied as lights on the panels around her began to fade, then wink out of existence. Only a few commands left, just a few systems to go…_

_She caught a flash of light out of the corner of her eye, but by the time her slowed reflexes registered it, it was too late. The Will had taken advantage of the few seconds she had her guard down, and had reactivated the inclision grid, and Callista watched in slow motion as arcs of lighting reached out of the shaft and caught her across her back and spine._

_The force and energy of the impact slammed her against the console, and she slowly slid to the deck. She could feel herself fading, the last bolts having completely overwhelmed her.  
_  
No…_her mind protested. There were still systems left, the ship hadn’t been completely shut down. The guns! The guns still worked…all of this had been for nothing if the guns could still be used!  
_  
Mind what you have learned, Callista…  
_  
A brief memory flashed through her mind, an almost forgotten teaching, just another one of many that she had absorbed and learned over the years.  
_  
Yes, Master…  
_  
Callista painfully drew a breath in, then focused all of her energy on the computer core.  
_  
You think you’ve beat me, _she mentally cursed the Will. _I haven’t even gotten started with you yet. Let’s see how you like dealing with me on a permanent basis.  
_  
It was the strangest sensation Callista had ever experienced. She felt as if she were being pulled in all directions at once, formless and directionless, until she channeled her energy at the computer once again. There was a bright flash, and then she didn’t feel anything anymore. No pain…no sensation whatsoever, and she realized with a start as she looked down on her own still form, that it had worked. She was now part of the ship’s computer.  
_  
***

Callista woke with a start, just in time to see the walls of the room in the ice palace turn bright white again, and her surroundings start to blur. She picked herself up off the floor and pushed away from the wall, only to find her hand went through the wall. She glanced around and moved her hand at the shelf she was standing next to. Again, her hand passed right through it.

_Please tell me I’m not dead,_ she sighed. But that didn’t feel right – she knew what that felt like. The whole scene had a surreal quality to it, with colors that were not quite bright enough, and edges that were slight fuzzy. A holo-projection of some sort?

_A projection, yes, but not a holo. This is all in your head still,_ the same voice that had briefly spoken to her earlier came though again. _You wanted to know the cost? The cost could be what you stand to lose._

Callista looked at her surroundings again and realized that she was in Luke’s room back on Yavin 4. She hadn’t recognized it at first because it looked like some redecorating had taken place. She recognized the soft melody of the wind chimes that hung in the window – her wind chimes, ones she had found a few years back in some marketplace on some backwater planet.

She glanced around the room once more and noted a figure laying in the bed. It was herself, she realized after a double take. Herself…that had been through hell and back again, by the looks of things. She looked like she had recently been in a fight, and sported a black eye, along with several still-healing cuts and bruises. And that was what she just see just from a distance.

She spun around, instinctively looking for a place to hide at the sound of the door opening behind her, but her presence seemed to not register as she watched Luke enter the room and cross to the bed.

She watched herself stir as Luke placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and brushed some stray curls out of her face. “How are you doing?” he asked after her eyes had fluttered open.

Callista strained to hear her own reply, and watched with interest as what she had concluded was her future self very slowly sat up and leaned against Luke, resting her head on his shoulder.

_I wonder who kicked my ass that badly?_ Callista mused to herself. _Must have been one hell of a fight._

“Better,” her future self replied softly. “Not ready to pass out every time I sit up anymore,” her lips twisted in a sardonic smile.

The look on Luke’s face told her he wasn’t seeing anything remotely humorous in the situation.

Have you found out anything?”

“They've gone to ground,” Luke said, putting his arms around her and gently holding her. “But that doesn’t concern me at the moment. I’m more worried about you-”

Callista’s vision and balance wavered again as the scene faded, and although she tried to read his lips, she wasn’t able to make out the rest of his sentence. Who were ‘they' he had been talking about that had gone to ground?

“This is giving me more questions than answers,” she grumbled out loud to the once again white walls of the ice palace.

_How is a future with Luke a question?_ the voice once again spoke in her head. _After all, that is what you want, isn’t it?_

“You seem to know an awful lot about me.”

_Yes._

Callista responded to that with a low growl.

_I would think that alone would be enough of an answer for you right now. There’s no use puzzling over questions now, for what you saw was just a possible future. After all, the future is always in motion._

“Does every vision of the future involve me looking like I got in the way of the start of a podrace?” Callista groused out loud, and scowled at the light laughter she heard as the spirit she had seen earlier appeared once more.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, but all you’re doing is managing to confuse me,” Callista looked up at the spirit.

“I’m just trying to get you to think,” the spirit said. “Unless you need some more examples?”

“No,” Callista shook her head as the spirit raised her hand. “No more memories, no possible futures. I have enough to think about, I just need some time to figure out what it all means.”

“That’s fine,” the spirit said, “but just remember, as much as I’d like to give it to you, you don’t have all the time in the world to make your decision.”


	39. Chapter 39

A warm breeze filtered down through the trees, entirely inappropriate to the surroundings, at least in Malinse’s opinion as he scowled at the forest around him. The air was close and the light dim. Massive trees grew together, their thick branches reaches towards each other and intertwining. The constant rustle of leaves suggested a large population of life forms inhabited the forest – very active life forms.

Very little sunlight reached down to the forest floor. On a world were the light was already weak and the sun a distance away from the planet, that meant that there was barely enough light underneath the trees for Malinse to see the outlines of trees and bushes around him. Whosever idea it had been to meet in this place, Malinse was rapidly growing very irritated towards them. Only a few planets across the galaxy were worse than this one in terms of hospitability.

He cursed, his voice sounding loud in the relative quiet of the forest, as a chittering, winged rodent swooped down, almost brushing the top of his head with its wings. Nearby, several tree branches scraped together, and a loose branch came clattering down to the forest floor, only yards away from where Malinse was standing. He supposed that it was another cursed animal that inhabited the woods making a lot of racket, as the wind wasn’t blowing nearly hard enough to shake the branches of the trees, merely rustle the leaves.

The air pressed in around him as he made his way deeper into the woods, following the symbol that had been lightly carved into the tree trunks. The symbol of their order. Anyone not part of the order would not understand the pattern, but he knew what it represented.

Power. Protection. Chaos. Leadership.

His fingers brushed the serpentine design superimposed over the roughly triangular shape that had been etched into the oddly smooth wood of the tree. It was barely light enough for him to see the symbol, but it didn’t matter. He would have known the symbol even in the blackest surroundings. Just its mere presence practically radiated power.

A large, sticky cobweb draped across his path, and he slapped, irritated, at the loose tendrils that brushed his shoulders and clung persistently to his clothing. The sticky web tangled in his fingers, and he eventually gave up, disgusted.

Rustling in the underbrush had Malinse glancing down and automatically jerking away from the large snake that slithered over the toe of his boot, pausing momentarily to flick a forked tongue in his direction. He lifted his foot and flung the snake away, watching as it whirled through the air and hit the trunk of a nearby tree before landing in a coiled heap on the ground. Malinse watched as the snake lifted its head and cast a baleful glare in his direction before slithering off into the underbrush once more.

The deeper he got into the forest, the louder and more active the inhabitants of it seemed. The rustling was almost constant now, and the scraping of the tree branches was starting to wear on his nerves.

The underbrush was getting thicker and harder to walk through now, and the faint trail that had existed earlier was now gone. Malinse had to make due with stepping over rotting logs and loose twigs that cracked with each step he took. He had been to dozens of worlds, experienced almost every surrounding imaginable, and faced down countless native denizens of those worlds. But none had unnerved him quite to the extent that this one had.

There was something about this world, or at least, this forest, that seemed unnaturally alive and aware. He felt an unpleasant chill down his spine, the sensation of being watched. Chittering noises surrounded him, and he felt a wash of air from the wings of thousands of flying insects that descended on one of the nearby trees.

Malinse watched with morbid fascination as the horde of insects shredded their way into the bark, squealing with victory as they dragged their prize out, a small family of spiky-furred rodents. The insects then proceeded to rip the rodents apart until there was nothing left save for a small strip of fur clinging to the part of the devastated tree.

“How in Core have you managed to survive for this long?” the low hiss next to his ear threw Malinse off balance as he spun around, trying to identify who had crept up on him. All he could make out was a tall figure covered in a dark, hooded cloak, but the voice sounded familiar. After several moments, he recognized it as belonging to the person who had orchestrated his release from the New Republic’s prison cell.

“You are the most careless person I have ever had to work around,” the voice continued. In the darkness, Malinse was no closer to discovering any other identifying characteristics for the individual other than the fact he was fairly certain it was female. But he was only basing that on the sound of the voice, something that could be changed and manipulated.

Malinse had managed to recover both his wits and his balance by now, and he felt himself going on the defensive. Everything this person, this individual, had said to him had been condescending, rude, or sarcastic. Just because they apparently worked for the same organization obviously didn’t mean they necessarily had to get along.

“_You’re_ the one I’m supposed to meet?” he sneered. “Since when are you the one giving me orders?”

“Since you’ve failed to bring anything of substance or use to us, that’s when. Since every encounter you’ve had with the Jedi and every attempt to retrieve the crystals has resulted in failure, that’s when,” the figure snapped, making no effort to conceal the annoyance in her tone.

Branches snapped and rustled behind Malinse, but before he could react, something gripped him around the shoulders and yanked him backwards until he slammed against the trunk of a tree. Thick tree branches pressed against his arms and upper body, rendering him immobile. He thrashed his legs against the tree trunk and into the ground, but the tree just gripped him tighter.

“What the hell is this thing?” he focused his rage at the branches holding him, trying to break their suffocating grip. He expected to see the branches go splintering off in all directions, but nothing happened. “What-?”

“Are you going to shut up and listen, or am I going to have to wait until the tree squeezes all the air out of you for long enough to make you stop yelling?” the hooded figure held up her hand, twisting her fingers slightly, and Malinse could feel the branches become impossibly tight against his chest. “Just a little harder,” she continued, “and it’ll snap your ribs. Wouldn’t that be pleasant? Of course, then I’ll just have to listen to you scream in pain, although good luck doing _that_ with a half a dozen broken ribs.”

She was twisted, that was the only conclusion Malinse could come to. The tone of her voice suggested that she was _enjoying_ herself, that what she was doing was a game.

As Malinse’s pain started to reach eye-watering limits, the pressure around his arms and chest abruptly stopped, and he was dropped to the ground in a heap.

“Now are you willing to listen?” the woman’s voice was ice-cold again, and before Malinse could struggle to his feet, she had stepped over and placed a booted foot on his back, heel centered firmly over his spine with just enough pressure to suggest that, should he resist, the pressure could easily be increased and struggling would no longer be an issue with him. “Do stay there,” she said. “I think you’ll find it infinitely more comfortable at the moment.”

Malinse could feel the cool metal of his lightsaber where it dug into the dirt and against his side, and he wished he could yank the blade free and plunge it right through this woman’s knees. She was humiliating him, and one day, she would pay. He would find out who she was, and she would pay, no matter if they were working for the same organization or not.

The boot heel dug into his spine, harder this time. “Hasn’t anyone taught you about hiding your facial expressions?” she sneered. “Your thoughts are written all over your face. Well, it’s no wonder you haven’t been able to best the Jedi, if this is the best you can do.”

“Insults aren’t going to really inspire me to do much better,” Malinse grumbled, face first into the dirt.

“You sure couldn’t do much worse,” the woman snapped.

“The Jedi have been an unexpected obstacle,” Malinse continued to grouse. “I was told that I would not encounter any outside resistance while retrieving the crystals. But the damn Jedi keep beating me to them.”

“That’s what I want to talk to you about,” the woman lifted her boot and backed away enough to allow Malinse to slowly rise to his knees.

“That’s far enough, thanks,” she said. “Now, for some reason, our boss thinks you still serve a purpose. Even if the Jedi do have all the crystals, you still know where they are going.  You _could_ try beating them there and stopping them before they destroy that crystal.”

“And how exactly do you want me to do that?” Malinse shifted his weight back on his heels, looking up at the tall woman. The hooded cloak she wore covered her face in a dark shadow, and he was still unable to make out any distinguishing features.

“Be creative,” she snapped.  “I’m not being paid to do your thinking for you.  I’m sure you’ll think of something in time.  After all, you wouldn’t want to fail our employer.  From what I understand, their employee termination policies are quite rigid.”


	40. Chapter 40

Ellina was amazed at how slowly twilight faded on Yavin 4.  She was accustomed to the sunsets back home, where darkness would descend across the face of the planet in a matter of minutes.  She sighed as she watched the gas giant of Yavin slowly sink lower on the horizon, casting shadows and ribbons of color across the clouds that dotted the sky.

 

This was one of the first times she had been able to stop and think for the last several days, and her head was spinning.  She had jumped rather impulsively into the idea of Jedi training, and only now were the implications starting to catch up to her.

 

She was supposed to be going home soon!  She had promised Cerina that she would only be gone for a few months…and she was plunging ahead as if she had all the time in the world to devote her life to her training.  She was starting to get a bad feeling about her rash action, and she didn’t know what path to take.  Never in her life had she  felt such a purpose as she did at the Jedi Academy.  She was finally starting to understand what having a calling in life meant.  And going home would mean leaving that behind.

 

She had responsibilities back home, a nagging thought she had never been able to release.  Responsibilities and expectations that made her miserable.  She wondered if Cerina was still doing a credible impression of Ellina, and just how far they might be able to take that deception.  Ironically, the role was perfect for Cerina.  She was the one that enjoyed public service.  Negotiating treaties and mediating disputes came naturally to Cerina, who was always able to see a way to a solution with minimal conflict.

 

Ellina chuckled derisively at the irony of it all, and how it all revolved around the five minute difference in birth order, and she reflected, not for the first time, that how much easier everything would have been if Cerina had been the older twin.

 

_There has to be a solution, _she thought as she tapped her fingers against the tree trunk she was leaning against.  First of all, though, she knew that she needed to come clean about her background.  Maybe one of the Jedi would have a solution, be able to come up with something she hadn’t been able to think of yet.

 

The crackle of leaves interrupted her thoughts, and gasped, startled, as she heard footsteps getting closer.  She had come out here to be alone, slipping away shortly before the evening meal, a time when she knew everyone would be distracted.  Ellina shrank into the shadow of the tree, pressing her back into the rough bark.  She didn’t know why she was so jumpy, but she supposed that she was subconsciously expecting her plans to go awry, for Cerina’s deception to be discovered, and for her parents to send someone after her and drag her back to Delfeire where she could be “installed in her proper position.”

 

These footsteps didn’t sounds like the business-like, brisk steps she had come to associate with her parent’s guards.  In fact, these sounded more like what she suspected her own were like – light, distracted, and aimless.  The idle wanderings of someone out looking for a quiet place to think.

 

Ellina cautiously moved away from the tree, stepping into the cleared area around the trees.  She wasn’t sure if the other person had already known she was there, or had been expecting to see her, but whatever the case was, he didn’t look at all surprised by her sudden appearance. 

 

Ellina curiously studied the other person for a moment – a young man, maybe a year or so older than herself – before offering a shy smile.  “Is this the official quiet thinking spot?” she quipped, and earned a smile in return.

 

“There’s more than one person that’s found it, so I think that’s more than enough to make it official,” he smiled.  “I’m Dolph,” he offered his hand.

 

“I’m Ellina,” she took the moment to study him up close.  Fringes of longish brown hair fell over dark brown, intense eyes that reflected hidden depths of emotion, yet at the same time revealed nothing but a calm surface.  She thought he looked attractive from a distance, and she could see now that she hadn’t been wrong.  He was tall, much taller than her, and time spent in the Yavin 4 jungles had given him a light tan.  She blushed slightly once she realized she was staring, but realized that he had been watching her as intently as she had been him.

 

“You’re new here,” Dolph said, phrasing it in such a way that Ellina knew it wasn’t so much a question as just a confirmation of something he already knew.

 

“Is it that obvious?” Ellina joked.  “And I thought I was blending in so well.”

 

“You’ll get there,” he smiled warmly at her.  “How long have you actually been here?”

 

Ellina paused, trying to sort out the days of the past week in her head.  “A couple, I think,” she shrugged.  “It’s sort of been a blur for me.”

 

“Everyone feels that way at first, but you’ll get used to it.  It sometimes takes a while to settle in.”

 

Ellina detected a trace of wistfulness in his voice as he was speaking, and a strong feeling that she could identify with.  Some uncertainty, homesickness, and just a bit of loneliness.

 

“How long have you been here?” she asked, settling back against the tree and sliding down to the ground.

 

“Only a few months,” he said, copying her moves until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder as he began talking about life at the Academy, some of the other students, the Jedi Knights that were their teachers, and gradually, bit by bit, more about himself.

 

Ellina found him a fascinating companion to listen to as he spoke about the planet he had come from.  Almania was in the far Outer Rim, a small, impoverished world that was often overshadowed by the wealth of its closest moon, Pydyr, whose native seafah jewels had brought the moon to the attention of some of the well-to-do inhabitants of the galaxy.

 

“The Je’har are the ruling, upper-caste of Almania.  They’re pretty much tyrants, but they’ve been in charge for as long as anyone can remember, and as long as you stay out of their way, they don’t really bother you,” Dolph’s face darkened for a moment.  “Anyway, their sights are set on Pydyr and all of its wealth right now, so the majority of the cities in Almania have gotten a bit of a reprieve from them.”

 

“That’s not right,” Ellina said softly after Dolph had elaborated on some of the Je’har’s methods for keeping their subjects in line.  “I can’t believe they can stay in power when they treat people that way.”

 

“Everyone is too scared to fight back,” Dolph shrugged.  “They can do whatever they like as long as no one opposes them.  And as long as you don’t oppose them, they leave you alone.  And most people just prefer it that way.  It’s easier.”

 

“Still, it’s no way to run a country, at least not long term.  Stable leadership has to have the respect of its people, not the fear.  Eventually, fear builds up and turns to resentment and anger, and that’s what leads to rebellion,” Ellina surprised herself with the passion of what she was saying.

 

Dolph also looked surprised.  “You sound like you have experience in that area,” he finally said.

 

Ellina closed her eyes.  She knew she shouldn’t have opened her mouth.  She had no idea how she was going to explain her way out of this, for she suspected that her old stand-by answer of being a political science student probably wouldn’t work.  She probably wouldn’t be able to fool a Jedi – or a Jedi-in-training.

 

“You could say that,” she finally whispered.  “My parents are the ruling regency of Delfeire, and they’ve been preparing me to be the next one to take over.  Delfeire has been locked in a civil war – noncombatant for the last fifteen years because neither side could afford to lose any more people – over who the royal heir actually is, so a regency was installed to govern until either side comes to their senses or makes a decision.  Except, I don’t even [i]_like[/i]_ politics…” she trailed off, then found herself spilling the entire story and the circumstances surrounding her arrival on Yavin 4.

 

“So my twin sister and I switched places, and she’s trying to fool everyone into thinking that she’s me so that I could go off and explore the galaxy for a few months before I have to start playing politician.  Only I never expected to find out that I’m actually Force-sensitive and have the ability to train as a Jedi Knight.  I jumped at the chance, only now, I feel like I’m stuck.  I don’t want to leave, but I also don’t want to disappoint my parents.  I’m the older twin, I’m the one who is supposed to be the one that takes up the mantle of politician.  It’s expected, even if it is a role that’s better suited for my sister,” Ellina sighed in frustration, twirling the stem of a dried leaf between her fingers and she gazed up at the slowly darkening sky.

 

“Have you talked to your parents?” Dolph finally ventured after several minutes of silence.

 

Ellina didn’t say anything, just simply glanced down at the ground, digging the toes of her boots into the soft dirt before finally sheepishly shaking her head.  “I thought it would be a waste of time,” she admitted.  “I didn’t think they would understand.”

 

“So you just left?”

 

“Probably not the smartest idea, huh?”

 

“Probably not,” Dolph leaned back against the tree, lacing his fingers behind his head.  “You owe it to them to at least ask, not that I can entirely blame you.  How long do you have before your sister is expecting to see you again?”

 

“If Cerina had her way, I’d be home tomorrow,” Ellina rolled her eyes.  “But based on what I told her, I could wait another couple weeks.”

 

“Stay here and train for those couple weeks,” Dolph suggested.  “Then return home and explain to your parents the importance of it to you.  But you need to talk to Master Skywalker.  He might even be able to help you persuade your parents.”

 

“You think that will work?” Ellina asked, not daring to get her hopes up too much.

 

“You won’t know if you never ask,” Dolph said, rising to his feet.  “Did you eat dinner yet?” he offered Ellina his hand, pulling her to her feet.

 

“No, I wasn’t really that hungry earlier,” she admitted.

 

“Well, you might not find the likes of some of the exotic offering on Coruscant or Corellia here,” Dolph said, “but it’s still good.  Besides, uneaten food has a tendency to get used in food fights, and that is never a pleasant sight, especially if you’re caught in the middle of it.”

 

“Thanks for the warning,” Ellina said dryly, following him down the path that lead back to the Jedi Academy.  “What brought you to the Jedi Academy?” she asked, slowly jogging to keep up with his long strides.

 

“One of the Jedi Knights, Tionne, came to Almania while she was searching out some piece of ancient Jedi lore,” he explained, and Ellina nodded.

 

“Yes, I’ve met her already.”

 

“She sensed my Force potential, and offered me the chance to come here.  My parents thought it was wonderful.  They said it was a great opportunity for me to be able to get away from Almania,” he said, his face clouding over once more.  Ellina sensed there was more to his story than he was telling, but for once, she kept her mouth shut and didn’t pry.  She didn’t know him well enough to start peppering him with questions about a topic he was clearly avoiding.

 

To her surprise, Dolph continued talking.  “They don’t think it’s safe with the Je’har around.  Sooner or later, they’re going to either get bored with or give up on Pydyr, and then their attention is going to return to those of us on Almania.  You see, what you said earlier about people rising up and fighting against tyrannical dictators?  My parents are those people that want to fight back.  But they can’t, not yet.  They don’t have enough people yet, but they’ve been working on building a resistance.  It has to be done so quietly, though.  The Je’har are fanatical, and if they found out…”

 

“That’s why I decided to stay here, to train as a Jedi,” he said.  “I’ll be able to help fight back against the oppression of the Je’har so much more effectively once I’m trained.  They won’t be able to stand against a fully trained Jedi Knight,” he said, brushing his hair back out of his eyes.

 

“I hope you’re right,” Ellina said.  “They sound absolutely horrible.”


	41. Chapter 41

The soft sound of claws scraping against ice quickly drew Luke’s focus away from the area of the wall he had been examining and back to his surroundings. He didn’t see anything immediately around him, but he could still hear the soft scraping noise. The room was otherwise quiet – too quiet. Callista was gone.

Luke jumped up from where he had been kneeling on the frozen surface, eyes immediately going to the hall at the end of the room. That hall was the only way in or out of the room, save for the entranceway.

He hadn’t thought he had been examining the room for that long, but dusk had fallen in the time since they had entered the ice structure, and long shadows stretched across the room, throwing pockets of darkness into the corners.

A scuffling sound behind him made Luke spin around just in time to see a flash of white cross the room and vanish down the far hallway. He hadn’t had the time to get more than a glimpse of it, but something about it had aroused his curiosity, and despite some slight misgivings, he started down the hallway after it.

The hallway was dark, and for a short while, Luke could hear ice shards crunching with each step he took, but as he made his way through the darkness, the sounds gradually tapered off. The hall opened into a room that was faintly lit from candles nestled in small alcoves built into the walls. Unlike the entry, this room was in immaculate condition, but Luke paused only long enough to see that it was empty before continuing towards the next hallway.

As he cross the room, his boot nudged against something metallic that clattered against the ice. In the dim light, he should make out a dark cylindrical shape. As he bent down, he already knew what it was he would find, and his suspicion was confirmed when his fingers touched cool metal and the smooth, inlaid bronze around the handgrip. Callista’s lightsaber.

He knew she had come this way – the halls were the only way in and out of the rooms – so where had she gone? And what had made her drop her lightsaber in the first place? He noticed some faint scuff marks, barely visible in the low light, but he was close enough to see the marring on the otherwise smooth surface. Luke wasn’t sure what it meant, but whatever was going on, he didn’t like it.

There were only two options that lead out of the room, and one was the hall he just came from. Grasping Callista’s lightsaber, he rose from his knees and started down the second hallway, which was darker than the one he had previously been in. Narrower, too, he noted as he brushed against the walls a couple of times.

He could feel the floor sloping away as he continued further into the darkness, his eyes gradually adjusting to the lightless conditions. He could just make out the lighter shade of the icy walls, and managed to stop just short of running into the opposing wall when the hallway made an abrupt turn before continuing.

Luke continued to follow the hall, but before long, he came to a dead end. The hall just cut off, with no indication of a door or any other passageway to follow. Luke stepped up to the wall and ran his hands over the surface, feeling for a hairline crack that might indicate a hidden door, but found nothing.

He forced down the feeling of panic that was starting to rise as he wondered where Callista could have gone. Was it possible that there was another passageway further back in the hall that he had missed? No, that was impossible. He could see well enough, even in the dark, to know if he had passed another outlet in the hall. There had to be another answer.

He turned around and began to slowly retrace his steps, leaving one hand trailing against the side of the wall, just in case he had missed something. The darkness seemed to press in around him as Luke slowly trudged back up the hall. It seemed to take him twice as long to get back to the room that the hall started in, and the once-dim room looked comparatively brighter next to the dark hall.

He scanned the room again, but everything appeared the same as it had been only a short while ago. The absolute emptiness of the room, and the whole palace, was slightly disconcerting to him. he stretched out through the Force, knowing it was a futile gesture and wouldn’t help him locate Callista, but nevertheless, he still tried.

_Luke?_

The sound of his sister’s voice in his head was somewhat unexpected at first, but very comforting.

_Are you all right? _

He supposed she was picking up on some of his feelings of distress; he certainly hadn’t been doing anything to disguise them. Then again, Leia was so astute as to what her twin was thinking that he had never been able to disguise his moods and feelings from her.

_We still haven’t had any luck here with tracking down that Dark Jedi. Mara’s working in conjunction with the NRI, using some of her smuggling contacts to see if she can help locate him, but we don’t have anything yet._

_We ran into Mara on Illusia,_ Luke grimaced slightly. Although it had been years since he had been in the crosshairs of Mara’s assassin sights for the first time, it had been an experience he hadn’t forgotten, and this latest encounter sure hadn’t done anything to change that. It was just a little bit frightening to see how quickly Mara could slip back into assassin mode, and Luke wondered sometimes how much of the Jedi training he tried to give her was actually sticking. _I don’t know where she went from there, though._

_Luke, what’s wrong? You’re distracted, and worried about something. Tell me._

_Callista and I got separated. She went ahead while I was looking at something, and now I can’t find her. There’s only one way she could have, and I followed it to a dead end. There’s no sign of her, but she dropped her lightsaber along the way._

Leia didn’t say anything, but Luke could feel the comforting tough of her mind.

_I’m worried about her,_ he finally continued.

_Worried…and scared. Scared that she vanished again so easily._ Leia was eerily perceptive sometimes.

_Yes._ It was a feeling Luke didn’t like. He wasn’t used to being rattled this way. To know the way of the Jedi was to know peace and calm. It wasn’t working.

_Luke, calm down._ Once again, Leia was being the rational voice of reason. She had the ability to think calmly during a crisis, for herself as well as for those around her, and this wasn’t the first time Luke found himself relying on her calming influence to temper his impulsive actions. _Think about this. You said it was a dead end, and there was only one way through the rooms. That means that she has to be there somewhere. There’s probably a hidden passage that you missed._

_But I checked already._

_You might have checked, but if you were distracted and upset, how well did you check? A hidden passage couldn’t very well be called that if it were easy to find, could it?_

She was right. Luke glanced at the dark hall again, then bent down to retrieve several glowrods from the pack he had set at his feet. He hadn’t been able to feel any kind of doorway, but maybe he would be able to see something.

_You sound like you have a plan,_ Leia commented.

_I have to do something._

_You always do._

Luke was trying to work up a suitable retort to Leia’s last comment when he was stopped by movement in the hall entrance. A large, white canine-looking animal was blocking the way to the hall, head lowered, eyes boring into Luke.

Luke didn’t like the way the animal was looking at him – as though it thought Luke might make a tasty main course – and he took a couple of careful, experimental steps. The animal lowered its head even more and let out a soft growl, the fur along its back bristling.

_What did you do now?_ Leia was still maintaining her connection with him, probably to see how much trouble he was getting into.

_I don’t know, I don’t ask for these things to happen._ Luke stepped back again, and the animal relaxed. He studied the fluid movements of the animal, noting the pearlescent shimmer of its coat, and its colorless eyes. After a few moments, Luke came to the conclusion that he was being threatened by a spirit form, not an actual animal. That was hardly reassuring, though. In fact, Luke would have preferred a solid, real life form. While they might cause more damage, they were typically easier to fight than a spirit.

_I don’t think I’m going anywhere for the time._

_Relax._ He could almost see the teasing smile she would be giving him had they been face to face. _Luke, do you remember what we talked about when you were on Coruscant?_

_That wasn’t something I was going to forget very quickly._

_Well?_

_Well, what?_

_Well, have you done anything about it, or are you letting this galactic crystal chase be a good distraction and excuse for ignoring the past?_

He should have known Leia wouldn’t let that one go. Despite the fact that she probably knew what had transpired between him and Callista, or at least suspected, she still wanted confirmation from him. Privacy was be such a relative term between two Force-sensitive siblings, yet both of them respected the other’s mental boundaries – most of the time.

_Call us a work-in-progress,_ was the first thing Luke could come up with. _I think there’s still a lot we have to work out, but the biggest mistakes of the past have been ironed out._

_Obviously not entirely, if you’re still worried about her disappearing._

_Call it a reflex reaction. Old habits die hard, I suppose._ Luke mentally shrugged. _No one promised this would be easy, but Callista said that if something is worth having, then it’s worth fighting for._

_She’s right. It’ll be more worth it than you know._

_You know that something I don’t?_

_No, but I just have a feeling that it will be. As hard as you’ve been fighting, the end result will make up for it, I just know it._

Leia’s words were the reassurance that Luke had been wanting to hear, and he trusted her instincts. She knew he needed to hear the reassurance that all of his work and efforts would not be for nothing.

Before he could inquire further, or even thank her for her support, Luke was distracted by the sudden movement of the spirit as it jumped up from its crouched position and fled down the hall. Silently apologizing to Leia and promising to fill her in later, he followed after the spirit.

The faint glow coming off the spirit was barely bright enough for Luke to even see his own shadow against the wall, but it provided enough light for him to follow the spirit as it continued down the hall. It was a strange feeling to be following something that he could physically see, but made no noise as it moved, and neither could he sense it through the Force.

A scuffling noise up ahead made Luke freeze in place, hand moving to his lightsaber. He waited as the scuffling sharpened into individual footsteps. He tensed, then nearly dropped his lightsaber as Callista slowly materialized out of the darkness.


	42. Chapter 42

“Callista?” Luke was still frozen in place, wondering if he was imagining things. But no, the touch of her hand against his arm was solid enough as she reached his side.

“Luke, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she tightened her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? What’s…Callista, where the hell have you been?” Luke grasped her arms, spinning her around in front of him, maybe a bit rougher than he originally intended as he remembered his feelings of panic when he had realized she had disappeared.

Callista bristled against his tone. “I was exploring the rest of the palace,” she said.

“Without telling me where you were going?”

“I thought you were following right behind me,” her irritation lent an edge to her voice. “And I don’t recall needing your permission to do what it is we’re supposed to be doing here in the first place.”

Luke took a deep breath, willing himself to relax. Arguing wouldn’t get them anywhere. “I’m sorry,” he loosened his tight grip on her. “You scared me when you disappeared. I couldn’t find any trace of where you were.”

Callista gestured down the hall she had just come from. “There’s a room at the end of the hall. That’s where I was, getting this.” She opened her hand to reveal a bright, flame-orange crystal.

“That’s it,” Luke said softly. “Now it’s off to Sith Space.”

“I can hardly wait,” Callista said wryly, but Luke could see, now that her earlier defensiveness was gone, she was slightly subdued, with something weighing on her mind. Now it was his turn to ask her what was wrong.

“It was…interesting, getting the crystal,” she finally said after a pause. “It gave me a lot of think about.”

Luke glanced around at their surroundings, which had grown darker as they stood talking. The canine spirit figure had vanished. “This whole place is providing plenty to think about,” he said, thinking about the strange spirit and lack of apparent life on the planet.

“I’ll feel better the sooner we leave,” Callista admitted. “None of the planets we’ve visited on this whirlwind tour have been particularly hospitable.” She was doing a good job of avoiding discussing what had transpired while she was retrieving the crystal, and Luke didn’t push her on it, at least not at the moment. There would be time later to discuss the slightly haunted look in her eyes. For now, he simply closed his hands on her arms and pulled her close, touching his forehead to hers for a brief moment.

A soft rustle and faint glowing light down the hall had Luke automatically tightening his hold on Callista as she turned half around in his arms at the noise. As they watched, another glowing figure materialized, one that Callista recognized as the spirit that had spoken to her in the room. This time, the spirit hovered in midair for a time before uttering a single word:

“Remember.”

***

_Remember._ As if Callista was likely to forget. Back onboard the _Righteous Indignation_, Callista added the newly acquired crystal to the assortment she had emptied out onto her bunk. Each crystal glittered, and Callista didn’t know whether it was her imagination, or the lighting, or the close proximity of the crystals to each other, but the glittering seemed to be brighter than before.

As she looked at them, she could feel herself slowly being drawn to the glittering gems. It was almost as if a faint power was emanating off the crystals, now that the six pieces had been brought together. It sent a faint chill down Callista’s spine, that the crystals were already starting to activate, even without the final piece to form around.

Abruptly, she broke her gaze and looked away from the shining crystals, gathering her thoughts as she quickly scooped the crystals back into a small pouch and slipped the pouch into her pants pocket.

Her footsteps seemed too loud as she made her way out of the rear hold and up to the cockpit, where Luke was programming the navicomputer. “Ready?” she asked, slipping into the seat next to him.

“I don’t know if I’m ever ready to willingly journey into Sith space,” Luke admitted. “You?”

“Ready for this to all be over,” Callista sighed as she ran her fingers through her loose brown curls. “For once, I wouldn’t mind settling down and having nothing to do for a few months.”

“You’d be bored after a week,” Luke reached over to tweak one of her curls. “But I agree, a bit of boredom sounds good after this is all over.”

“And you wouldn’t be bored after a week?” Callista teased back, entwining her fingers with his where he was lightly rubbing the back of her neck. “We can be bored together, at least.”

“I can think of some ways to break up the boredom,” Luke said, the look on his face a picture of pure innocence, at least on the surface. Callista gave a sigh of mock-annoyance and rolled her eyes. “We’re heading into Sith space – deliberately, I might add – and that’s what you’re thinking about?”

“Just being optimistic,” Luke shrugged.

“Optimistic,” Callista softly snorted, but before she could continue her train of thought, the navicomputer’s soft beeping commanded her attention. She scanned the readout, then gave the navicomputer a baleful glare. “It interrupts me to tell me something I already knew, that our current course is taking us directly into Sith space, and that it is advised to alter course. You know, this is going to be a very long trip is this thing insists on advising us every few minutes that what we’re doing is considered by most people to be a really dumb move. I don’t think we really need that reminder.”

“Come on,” Luke abruptly stood up, pulling Callista to her feet. “The ship will be fine on autopilot for most of the trip.” Callista followed him out to the main hold and the chairs that were scattered throughout. He sat down, and Callista perched next to him on the arm of the chair.

“Want to tell me what happened back on the planet?” Luke finally asked, grasping Callista’s hands in his.

Callista paled and looked down at the floor.

“Callie,” Luke tugged her hands, forcing her attention back on him, then lightly pulled her down into his lap. “Callie, trust me.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

“It was a test,” Callista took a shaky breath. “There was this spirit there, in the room. I had to relive some of the worst memories of my life, there was something she did, it was like I was there again, all over.”

She was trembling in his arms, and Luke could only imagine some of the horrors she had seen, the nightmares she had been through.

“Something kept coming up, though, consistently. I think the spirit kept trying to impress on me how much of a propensity I have for acting out of anger and rashness. How easy I can slip over to the dark side, and how that just makes it worse. It doesn’t help, it never does.”

“It’s funny,” the sardonic smile on her face indicating it was anything but, “how I never put it together that way before. That I never realized how much I had allowed it to happen. And it scared me. It scared me so much, Luke. I don’t want to be that person.” She buried her face against his neck, her cheeks damp with tears.

“I have too much to lose,” she whispered. “Seeing all that, it made me realize, it’s not worth it. Chasing after what I lost, it’s not worth it, because if I keep going, I’m going to lose something that means even more to me. Being with you means more to me than getting my Force powers back ever could. I’m sorry it took me so longer to realize that.”

Luke tightened his arms around her as she spoke, feeling the doubts that lurked in the dark corners of his mind dissolve. He hadn’t know how badly he had wanted to hear her say those words, how much relief he felt at hearing her make her own decision about the direction of her life. She was still trembling slightly as Luke shifted her in his arms, drawing her up to firmly kiss her.

He could taste the residue of her salty tears on his lips after they drew apart. Luke marveled at how much at peace Callista looked, her gray eyes bright and clear, without the shadows that had lurked in their depths for so long.

“Callista,” Luke took a deep breath, but before he could continue, a loud beeping from the navicomputer cut him off, and he had to fight the urge to mutter a soft curse at the bad timing.

“I guess we’re getting close,” Callista reluctantly stood up, fingers brushing against the pocket that contained the pouch of crystals.

“Yeah,” Luke looked like he would like nothing more than to finish what he had been about to say, but as her questioning look, he shook it his. “Later,” he said. “Later,” he repeated quietly to himself.


	43. Chapter 43

_Nothing_ about the entire journey had been easy up to that point, which was why the absolutely seamless entry and landing on the planet made Callista very wary.  It had been almost _too_ easy to land on the Dark Side-imbued planet, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they’d be paying for the ease of access later.

 

The skies, which had been relatively clear and cloud-free during entry, had quickly clouded over in a thick, gray layer that blocked all but the most diffuse light from reaching the ground.  Further cloud cover had seeped down into a dense fog that covered the ground in a meter-high blanket of swirling mists.

 

Callista paused at the top of the ship’s ramp, trying to give her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim light.  She could barely see more than a few meters past the bottom of the ramp.  The landing of the ship had temporarily dissipated the fog, but thick tendrils of it were slowly creeping back into the clearing where the ship had landed.

 

The darkness and oppressive atmosphere did nothing to soothe Callista’s uneasiness.  It was quiet, _too_ quiet.  There were none of the accompanying noises she had come to expect from heavily forested planets – the standard rustle of leaves, scuttling of small animals through the underbrush, whisper of the wind though branches, all of it was absent.

 

She started when Luke came up behind her, so absorbed she had been in analyzing the planet. 

 

“Okay?” he glanced at her, seeing the tension in her jaw and unease in her eyes.

 

 “‘Okay’ is kind of relative, given the circumstances,” she shrugged and motioned to their surroundings.  “You always take me to such scenic places.”

 

They both shared a brief, wry smile for a moment before starting down the ramp and into the oppressive forest.

 

The heavy fog moved in swirls and eddies in response to their footsteps, clinging to boot tops and effectively blocking any view of the ground surface.  Both Luke and Callista repeatedly stumbled against hidden rocks and tree roots as they continued deeper into the forest.  The unnerving silence still remained, but neither felt comfortable in trying to break it.

 

Just prior to landing on the planet, Callista had managed to coax a few scraps of information about it out of the computer, enough to learn an approximate location for landing and a general directional heading.  Beyond that, no further information had been provided, and they were relying on instinct – and luck – to take them in the right direction.

 

But luck and instincts held out, and within a relatively short amount of time, Luke and Callista found themselves at the edge of another clearing, one that held an enormous stone temple.

 

The fog lightened at the clearing, tapering off as it neared the temple, with only a few stray tendrils curling around the base of the structure and up onto the thick stone steps.  Rather than provide any sort of respite from the gloom, the fog’s dissipation around the temple only served to increase its ominous sense.

 

The clearing was empty of vegetation, save for thick clumps of vines trailing up the temple walls in between the large stone blocks, covering what hadn’t already been covered by the dense, greenish-gray moss growing over the stone.

 

“It’s quiet,” Callista finally voiced the nagging sense she had that had started back on the ship.

 

“Too quiet,” Luke agreed.  “The whole planet – it feels like there’s an oppressive weight over the entire place.  Everything seems –”

 

“ – muffled,” Callista finished.  Luke had been able to put into words the vague uneasiness she had felt, even before landing.  _The Dark Side is strong in this place,_ she thought, and felt a chill, as if something was only seeking to confirm her thoughts.  Even she could sense it, that insidious little whisper in the back of her mind, teasing and taunting her – no.  She had made her choice.  She gritted her teeth, and a quick glance to the side at Luke was all she needed to harden her resolve.

 

She brushed her fingers against the leather pouch she wore on her belt.  The crystals within felt slightly warm, as if responding to their surroundings.  The warmth of them – and indeed, the very crystals themselves – bothered her.  There was something off about them, something that had been nagging at her subconscious.  She hadn’t pressed the idea before, but now, she did.

 

The light brush of her hand on Luke’s arm brought his attention back to her as she tried to explain the sense of _wrongness_ she had gotten over the whole thing. 

 

“Something doesn’t make sense,” she said, even her soft voice sounding loud in the preternatural quiet of their surrounding.  “Why does the crystal have to be put together to be destroyed?  If putting it together is supposed to be really bad, then why would that have to be done in order to destroy it?”

 

Luke was silent for a moment, mulling over the possibilities and implications in his mind.  “It would be a good bit of misinformation, wouldn’t it?  Put it together, thereby fulfilling its purpose, and then by that point, it’s too late for destroying it to be any good.”

 

Callista raised her eyebrows, impressed by such a diabolical line of thinking.  “And it would be exactly like a Dark-Sider,” she said, “to make sure the myths and stories include that bit about putting the crystal together before it’s destroyed.  It could be that was some misinformation deliberately planted at the very start to make sure the Jedi passed that knowledge down.”

 

“So if that’s the case, we just need to get into the Temple, dump the crystals, and get out,” Luke said.  “That sounds entirely too easy.  What are we missing?”

 

“I don’t think getting in is going to be the hard part,” Callista pointed out.  “I think this entire planet is embracing the crystals right now, _guiding _us to where it wants.  It _wants_ the crystal to be whole.  Getting out once the crystals are destroyed, I think that will be the fun part.

 

“But I’ve never been a fan of just waiting around for something to happen, you know,” she gestured to the temple. 

 

Clearly, Luke wasn’t either, as he immediately started towards the thick stone steps, pausing only a moment at the base of the steps to unclip his lightsaber.  Callista did the same.  They kept the blades deactivated – for now – but both held their respective weapons in a ready grip.

 

The temple was dimly lit on the inside, the entrance narrowing down into a small, even more dimly lit hallway that snaked around and into the depths of the temple.  The same thick stones as on the exterior continued inside, although these were moss-free and dry to the touch.

 

The narrow hallway continued on, making abrupt turns every so often, but never offering any other option than to keep following it to wherever it led.  No side passages, no other doors, no windows.  Clearly, this has been a path meant to go only one place: the heart of the temple.

 

Callista had noticed it was gradually growing brighter in the hallway, but she didn’t know whether that was due to more light, or her eyes adjusting to the dimness.  She suspected the latter was more likely, as it seemed to be getting brighter the deeper they proceeded.

 

The source of the increasing light was soon revealed as the hallway spilled out into an large room, empty save for the large glass platform in the middle of the floor.  Recessed in the center of the platform, a fire of purplish-white flames burned, spreading its eerie violet light though the room.

 

The stone ceilings soared far overhead, and from the walls jutted many stone ledges and lengths of catwalks, all at various heights and easily accessible from one to the next.  The room, like the temple itself, would have been imposing just based on its size alone, and the emptiness of it, combined with the odd lighting effects from the fire, only served to heighten that feeling.

 

Callista moved out from where she had been standing, just back and slightly off to Luke’s side, and into the room.  Her eyes quickly scanned for anything that might have been hidden from the where they were standing in the hallway entrance, and peripherally, she could see Luke doing the same.

 

Having satisfied herself that there was nothing lurking in any corners of the room, she moved further into the room and stepped up next to the platform.  It sat a couple meters off the floor, its slick glass surface supported on four corners by enormous stone blocks made of the same, rough-hewn surface as the rest of the room.

 

No steps or ramp had been built as a means to ascend the platform, which meant there was no easy way up.  Callista eyed the stone supports.  She supposed she could climb up that way if absolutely necessary – the rough stone would probably provide adequate toe- and handholds, but if there was a better way…she lifted her hands to the edge of the glass, then glanced at Luke.

 

Luke saw her intention and quickly moved beside her.  “Careful,” was all he said, then bent down to give her a boost up onto the platform’s surface.  She had nearly reached the point of being able to pull herself the rest of the way up when she was buffeted by what felt like a hurricane-gust of wind before being wrenched off the platform and hurled to the ground.

 

She tried to brace herself for the impact against the ground, knowing what was coming, but it did little to cushion her ribs, then her head, from connecting with the hard stone floor.  The last thing she remembered as she was falling was seeing Luke whirl around to face a very familiar, unwelcome sight: Malinse.  Then she blacked out.

 

***

 

Callista regained consciousness to the sound of clashing lightsaber blades, the spark and crackle of the energy blades echoing across the large chamber.  She cracked her eyes open, hissing through her teeth a the pounding in her skull.  This was really getting to be too much – she couldn’t ever remember getting knocked out this many times back to back.

 

The room performed a slow, spinning loop as she rolled over on her side and propped herself up on her forearms.  The spinning didn’t get any worse, but she still felt woozy and off-balance as she staggered to her feet, leaning on one of the platform supports to steady herself.

 

The sound of lightsabers caught her attention again, and she watched as Luke and Malinse took their fight from floor level to some of the protruding ledges surrounding the room.  Luke was the better fighter, she knew that much, but she could tell he was holding back, engaging Malinse enough to keep him distracted, occupied, and away from her.

 

She eyed, with some misgiving, the stone support she leaned against, and the platform that rested upon it.  She wished she had been able to get on top of the platform before Malinse had made his appearance, as the newest round of bruises and  aches in her body left her with little desire to try to shimmy up the pillar.

 

But she had little choice.

 

The stone of the support pillar was indeed rough, and bit into her palms as she scrambled for a purchase in the tiny gaps and crevices between the jagged blocks of stone.  Her grip failed several times on the way up, but the hissing sound of clashing lightsabers in the background made her grit her teeth and find the extra bit of strength to haul herself over the edge of the platform.

 

The smooth glass was slick under her feet as she carefully made her way across the surface.  Her steps were cautious at first, hesitant about trusting the platform with her full weight.  Although it had clearly been made for that purpose, it was nonetheless unnerving to be walking on something normally so fragile.

 

The violet-white fire beckoned from the center of the platform, drawing her closer to the dancing flames.  Callista was amazed that the crystals were still secure in her pocket, even after everything that had happened.  They had grown steadily warmer as she removed them, and had adopted an eerie glow in the flickering light.

 

She stared at them, watching the way the pulsating lights alternately dimmed and brightened.  It was strange to think that this was the end of the journey, a strange path that had brought unexpected twists and revelations…the end of one path, and the beginning of another.

 

Another crashing and sparking of lightsabers jerked her mind back to the task at hand.  It seemed too easy – anticlimactic, really – to turn her hand over the flames and let the crystals fall into the fire.  But that was exactly what happened, and other than a brief flare-up from the flames, very little happened to indicate she had just destroyed an item with the potential to put the whole galaxy in turmoil.  Anticlimactic, indeed.

 

What wasn’t anticlimactic was Malinse’s howl of rage, audible across the chamber, at her destruction of the crystal.  He might have been on the opposite side of the room, but Callista could almost see the hatred and anger rolling off him, and when he turned his attention back to Luke, his attack doubled in intensity.

 

Callista had no doubt Luke could take care of himself – and probably turn the Dark Jedi into strip steak if he so chose – but their goal was to capture him and turn him back over to the New Republic, not kill him.  Cornering him for a capture would be easier with two people.

 

As she watched, the two fighters gradually moved in her direction, leaping from one rocky outcropping to the next, lightsabers flashing and sparking against each other and the rock walls.

 

She carefully made her way towards the edge of the platform, wondering exactly how she was going to get down.  She was not looking forward to the idea of jumping down, as she had no desire to further add to the accumulation of bruises on her body, but neither did the idea of trying to pick her way back down the rough pillar. 

 

Steeling herself, she slid off the edge of the platform until she found toeholds in the rough stone, and proceeded to carefully climb down the pillar, fingers digging into small crevices to slow her descent.

 

Her intense concentration on climbing down the pillar, and lack of awareness to the rest of her surroundings, cost her.  She had turned her focus away from the furious battle that was nearly overhead by this time, and in so doing, failed to notice Malinse break away from Luke.

 

Her boots touched the ground, and a second later, she was engulfed with the most intense, fiery pain she had ever felt.  The attack had slammed her up against the pillar, and only a weak finger hold on the stone kept her upright as wave upon wave of the onslaught rolled over her.

 

The bright flashes of light, visible even through her closed eyes, told her what was happening.  Malinse was attacking her with Force lightning.  Her grip on the rock was weakening as the pain intensified, but something told her that she had to stay upright.

 

Abruptly, the attack on her ceased, although the pain still remained, and Callista gave up her grip on the pillar to collapse to the ground in a heap.  She managed to open her eyes to see that Luke had reengaged Malinse in a furious lightsaber battle, driving him away from her. 

 

Luke’s attention was divided, she could easily see that, and knew he desperately wanted to rush over to her.  She wanted to call up to him, reassure him that she was all right, that it wasn’t as bad as it looked, but it was taking all she had just to stay conscious.  Even that was shaky, and blackness kept edging in on her vision as she watched Luke and Malinse take their fight back up to the upper ledges.

 

As she watched, Malinse employed a vicious series of attacks with his blade against Luke, driving him to the next ledge over, and as the Jedi Master was distracted with maintaining his balance, unleashed a salvo of the blue-white bolts of Force lightning at him.  Callista wanted to cry out, to warn Luke, but before she could summon the strength, Luke had brought up his blade in a reflex action of pure instinct that blocked the crackling stream of electricity and reflected it back on its origin.

 

Malinse was completely unprepared for such a return attack, and instinctively took a step back.  But he had forgotten he was standing on the edge of a stone ledge, and his step back was over empty air.  His shriek of surprise and terror was shrill, then abruptly silenced when he impacted the stone floor.

 

It all happened fast, within moments.  Luke stared down from the high ledge, face impassive as he looked at the still, crumpled body of the Dark Jedi.  Callista saw a flash of cold fury briefly wash across his face, but it immediately softened into worry and concern as soon as he shifted his attention to her, and he wasted no time in making his way down the ledges and over to her.

 

“Callie–” Luke’s voice caught as he dropped to his knees beside her and gathered her in his arms.  “Come on, let’s get you out of here.  How bad is it?”  He gave her a worried once-over as he lifted her off the ground and started for the hallway out of the chamber.

 

“Uhh…” Callista’s voice trailed off as she rested her head against Luke’s shoulder, fighting back the pain that had sharply flared at the movement, then receded back to its previous levels.  The last thing she remembered was Luke exiting the dark hallway before the darkness that had been pressing in on her vision finally overtook her and she dropped off into unconsciousness, if only to escape the pain for a brief time.

 


End file.
